Chapter Estimating the Amount of Ballast Water from Ships in the Mediterranean: Antalya Bay Case Study

Overview & Synopsis

This study estimated how much ballast water ships can produce in the Gulf of Antalya, an important port city in the Mediterranean. The data used in the calculation was obtained from AIS (Automatic Identification System) of the ships arriving in Antalya Bay between 2018-2021. These ships' ballast water was determined with DWT (Deadweight tons) information using the methods given in the literature. It was calculated as a percentage of DWT according to ship types. As a result of the calculation, it has been determined that three to six million metric tons of ballast water produced in four years originates from bulk cargo ships. In addition, when other ship types are included in the Gulf of Antalya, it is evaluated that 7-12 million metric tons of ballast water may be produced, posing a severe threat to the Mediterranean ecosystem.