Etude des eaux de ballast de navires faisant escale dans les ports français

The carrier ship's deballasting activity in french ports and coastal areas can introduce unwanted or noxious species,with detrimental economical and sociological consequences upon shore based activities ; These activities represent one of the most preeminent sources for employment and incomes along the french coasts ,via coastal fishing,aquaculture,tourism. A ship's ballast water study in sorne french ports has been carried out ,to seek for presence of harmfull or pathogenic organisms.Results let appear pathogenic bacteriae in half of the ships,and weIl known toxic phytoplancton species (from Spain ,north Africa) The technical problem of ballast water treatment is considered.