Small sea with high traffic - what is the biofouling potential of commercial ships in the Baltic Sea.

Despite the Baltic Sea being one of the most intensive shipping regions in the world the potential magnitude of the biofouled hulls in this region is unknown. This study estimated the biofouling load to Baltic Sea Region (BSR) based on the wetted surface area (WSA) method with regard to country, ship type and donor bioregion. WSA flux reached 656 km, of which 86% was associated with ships operating inside and 14% was WSA flux brought by ships from outside of the Baltic Sea.

The role of marinas in the establishment and spread of non-indigenous species in Baltic Sea fouling communities.

The study included the sampling of 12 marinas across six areas of the Baltic Sea with settlement plates and scraping of submerged structures to assess the role of marinas in the spread of non-indigenous species (NIS) biofouling. 15 NIS were detected in the marinas and secondary spread of previously introduced NIS was detected in five out of six sea areas. Salinity and sea area significantly affected the composition of the fouling assemblages.