Vector (Invasive)

An invasive vector is the pathway or mechanism by which non-indigenous species are transported and introduced to new marine regions. The two dominant shipping vectors are ballast water, which carries planktonic organisms and cysts taken up in one port and discharged in another, and biofouling, the community of organisms attached to hulls, sea chests, and niche areas. Other vectors include aquaculture transfers, the aquarium trade, canals, and drifting marine debris in the plastisphere. The IMO BWM Convention manages the ballast vector through the D-1 exchange and D-2 treatment standards, and the AFS Convention plus the IMO biofouling guidelines address the hull-fouling vector.