To help reduce the spread of alien sea life, the state recently adopted new administrative rules to manage ballast-water discharge from vessels operating in Hawai'i waters.

Ballast water is taken in by ships to provide stability, improve fuel consumption and for overall safety of the ship and its crew. However, algae and other marine life also are taken up with the water and potentially transported to ports along the vessels' routes.

The state Department of Land and Natural Resources said this method of introduction of non-native marine life is recognized as a threat to native ecosystems around the world.

To protect the marine resources of Hawai'i, the department's Division of Aquatic Resources has been working with private, commercial and government agencies since 2001 to develop approaches to prevent and minimize introductions from ballast water.

"The goals of these newly adopted rules are to minimize the introduction and spread of non-indigenous marine life forms into waters surrounding the Hawaiian Islands," said Laura H. Thielen, DLNR chairwoman.

"Foreign aquatic organisms, such as seaweeds, coral, fish and worms may be harmful to our environment and economy because they have the potential to replace or destroy native organisms, and to alter the balance of our fragile aquatic ecosystems," Thielen said.

"The shipping industry is already cooperating with the new rules, which were adopted on Oct. 12, 2007. We have been in a transition stage until Nov. 30, 2007. During this educational period, the state has been notifying vessel owners and port agents about the newly adopted rules."

The new administrative rules require qualifying vessels to: