New Arctic Shipping Routes Mean New Passages For Invasive Species Too
Wednesday, May 28, 2014 - 10:20
in Earth & Climate
Two new shipping routes have opened in the Arctic: the Northwest Passage through Canada, and the Northern Sea Route, a 3,000-mile stretch along the coasts of Russia and Norway connecting the Barents and Bering seas. Overall, it means for the first time in perhaps 2 million years, the north Pacific and north Atlantic oceans are navigable, and that means new opportunities for Arctic natural resources and interoceanic trade with lower environmental impact, but commercial ships often inadvertently carry invasive species. Organisms from previous ports can cling to the undersides of their hulls or be pumped in the enormous tanks of ballast water inside their hulls. read more