All in one – the COMPLETE ballast water sampling and analysis workshop in Hamburg was a great success

8–10 May 2019, Hamburg, Germany

Participants from the administrations and scientific sector of seven Baltic Sea countries who are going to perform ballast water sampling and analysis met in a COMPLETE workshop organised in Hamburg at the beginning of May. For the first time, knowledge and practical hands-on exercises for all stages from planning and sampling to analysis were included in one seminar, which was supervised by the internationally recognised scientists Dr. Matej David and Dr. Stephan Gollasch. Starting with background knowledge on sampling and analysis tools and methods, the participants got the opportunity to carry out practical work in a laboratory and on board the TUI cruise liner „Mein Schiff 5". All sections of the workshop took place right at the Elbe River, opposite to the Port of Hamburg that celebrated its 830th birthday in parallel. The gathered expertise will be further distributed by the participants, who also brought in their experience and questions concerning the further development of all ballast water issues. The materials and report of the workshop will be provided by the COMPLETE project. In addition, a documentary on the practical exercises combined with interviews with the experts will be prepared.

Dr. Stephan Gollasch demonstrates the refractometer for measuring the salinity. This device is used for monitoring the D-1 standard (ballast water exchange).

Significant interest for the examination of the plankton sample. For many participants, this was the first visual contact with the small water organisms that are at the centre of the BWMC.

Viable or dead? This is the question that must be answered for the evaluation of the D-2 standard. Everything that is glowing here due to staining with a fluorescent dye, is living.

For others this is a place to relax, for the participants it was the place of their first active ballast water sampling practice.

The participants from seven Baltic Sea countries will spread their gathered knowledge further.