• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.22 no.7
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• pp.821-828
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• 2016

The water quality and phytoplankton presence in the ballast water (BW) of 37 vessels originating from the international ports of China were investigated to facilitate negotiations for exemptions to the Ballast Water Management Convention (BWM Convention). The shortest duration given BW spent in a vessel was $3.91{\pm}4.61days$ in area "A", which included the Bohai Sea. Total suspended solids, dissolved organic carbon, and particulate organic carbon ranged from 1.80 to $266mg\;L^{-1}$, from 1.09 to $5.79mg\;L^{-1}$, and from 0.17 to $3.65mg\;L^{-1}$, respectively. A low average concentration of nutrients was measured in BW from area "C", but the concentration of nutrients in BW from area "B" (around the Changjiang estuary) was high, which may be related to the relevant supply of freshwater. A high chlorophyll-a concentration (> $1{\mu}g\;L^{-1}$) was measured in six vessels, three of which carried BW in the area "A". High abundance of phytoplankton (> $10,000cells\;L^{-1}$) was measured in four vessels, two of which carried BW in the area "C". Vessel No. 37, originating from Hong Kong Bay in area "C", showed a high density of dinoflagellates. The results suggest that BWM Convention exemption negotiations with China should be performed cautiously.