Assessment of recreational boating as a vector for marine non-indigenous species on the Atlantic coast of Canada

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) via 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. Settlement plates appeared as the more efficient sampling method over scraping, while the seasonal analyses revealed that the monitoring effort should span over the summer and early autumn in the south-eastern, central, and northern Baltic Sea. The present findings indicate that marinas contribute to the spread of non-indigenous fouling organisms, and there is an increasing demand for the monitoring of marinas and stricter regulations regarding the biofouling management of leisure boats in the Baltic Sea.

The Impact of Nautical Activities on the Environment—A Systematic Review of Research

As nautical tourism and recreational activities involving boats have become highly popular, research interest on various effects of nautical tourism is also increasing. This paper aims to analyze the main scientific contributions in the field of nautical tourism and its impact on the environment. The focus of the analysis is on the methods used to estimate and model recreational boating activities. Since nautical tourism plays a crucial role in the context of the growth and development of the economy, it is necessary to consider the environmental component of its development. The background objective of the paper is to provide a representation of environmental descriptors, i.e., to highlight in particular the environmental impact of nautical tourism. A search on the Web of Science Core Collection, touching on this topic, is composed of scientific papers published in the period 2010–2021. The papers examined are divided into five categories according to the impact of nautical tourism they study: Environmental, Economic, Social, Technical or Other. The results show that most papers were published in the area of environmental impacts of nautical tourism, with most papers examining invasive species, antifouling and impacts on species. The analysis showed that the negative impacts were mainly studied individually. Based on the analysis and evaluation of the scientific publications, a basic recommendation is given for the construction of a model to estimate recreational boating activities and its impact on the environment.

Boating- and Shipping-Related Environmental Impacts and Example Management Measures: A Review

Boating and shipping operations, their associated activities and supporting infrastructure present a potential for environmental impacts. Such impacts include physical changes to bottom substrate and habitats from sources such as anchoring and mooring and vessel groundings, alterations to the physico-chemical properties of the water column and aquatic biota through the application of antifouling paints, operational and accidental discharges (ballast and bilge water, hydrocarbons, garbage and sewage), fauna collisions, and various other disturbances. Various measures exist to sustainably manage these impacts. In addition to a review of associated boating- and shipping-related environmental impacts, this paper provides an outline of the government- and industry-related measures relevant to achieving positive outcomes in an Australian context. Historically, direct regulations have been used to cover various environmental impacts associated with commercial, industrial, and recreational boating and shipping operations (e.g., MARPOL). The effectiveness of this approach is the degree to which compliance can be effectively monitored and enforced. To be effective, environmental managers require a comprehensive understanding of the full range of instruments available, and the respective roles they play in helping achieve positive environmental outcomes, including the pros and cons of the various regulatory alternatives.