| Transport and Telecommunication |
Maintained by IMO |
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| Ships’ Ballast Water and Invasive Marine Species |
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 Introduction of Invasive Marine Species by Ships' Ballast Water The introduction of invasive marine species into new environments by ships’ ballast water, attached to ships’ hulls and via other vectors has been identified as one of the four greatest threats to the world’s oceans. The other three are land-based sources of marine pollution, overexploitation of living marine resources and physical alteration/destruction of marine habitat. Shipping moves over 80% of the world’s commodities and transfers approximately 3 to 5 billion tonnes of ballast water internationally each year. A similar volume may also be transferred domestically within countries and regions each year. Ballast water is absolutely essential to the safe and efficient operation of modern shipping, providing balance and stability to un-laden ships. However, it may also pose a serious ecological, economic and health threat.
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| Oil Pollution ' Prevention, Preparedness, Response and Cooperation |
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 During the last few decades of the 20th century, the pollution of the world's oceans has become a matter of increasing international concern. Substantial contributors to marine pollution come from land-based sources including the by-products of industry, run-off from agriculture activities such as biocides as well as effluents from urban areas.
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| Anti-fouling systems |
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 Antifouling paints are used to coat the bottoms of ships to prevent marine organisms such as algae and molluscs attaching themselves to the ship’s hull, which if unchecked, will slow down the ship and increasing fuel consumption. In the early days of sailing ships, lime and later arsenic was used to coat ships' hulls, until the modern chemicals industry developed effective antifouling paints using metallic compounds.
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