The Volvo goes Green

Each boat in the race will be involved in the programme which was initiated by the Official Logistics Partner, Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics (WWL).

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The dedicated media crew member on board will be responsible for taking regular water samples using a sophisticated testing process based on bioluminescence using a measuring instrument called a luminometer.

The race route provides scientists with a rare opportunity to analyse the biomass of the water in open seas not on the regular shipping lanes.

WWL, an environmental leader in logistics and ocean transportation, is very enthusiastic about the project. It provides an opportunity to advance scientific research as to how foreign invaders found in ballast water are upsetting the eco-systems in the world’s great oceans.

“Invasive species are one of the four major threats to the world’s oceans, the other three being global climate change, marine pollution and overfishing,” said WWL’s Global Head of Environment, Melanie Moore, during a recent briefing to a Media Crew Member workshop in Race HQ in Whiteley, Hampshire.

“We see this race as a great opportunity to increase scientific knowledge while increasing ocean lovers’ awareness of invasive species, because we find that people don’t know very much about it,” she said. “The more the public understands the problem, the more they will support our efforts to change industry practices.”

“What we want to look at is the mass of species along the race route. That’s the benefit of what the crew can do for us. It’s about conducting research that will go towards creating some better ballast water treatment systems for the future,” she added.

“We’ve been involved as a company with the race for a number of years. Volvo is not only a long-time customer of ours, but they share our passion for improving the world we love and work in. And for us, doing this water sampling project during the race is a way of giving back, of contributing something, as well as supporting Volvo and enjoying the action of the race.”

The United Nations marine body, the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), is in the process of getting member nations to ratify a convention which would force countries to ensure that their ships treat their ballast water so that it doesn’t carry invasive species to other oceans.

Every country on the 2008-09 race route is under threat from invasive marine species, from the Ostrea gigas (oyster) in South Africa, which has destroyed habits and caused eutrophication, to the Gymondinium catenatum in China, an algae which has caused shellfish poisoning.

The research at sea by the Media Crew Member involves taking a regular water sample, recording the mass of species in the sample, reporting the results electronically and then having them published on the Volvo Ocean Race website. A scientific report of the findings will be published post-race.

To put this research in perspective, the IMO has issued a dire warning about the threat of invasive marine species carried across the world in ballast water.

“Unlike other marine pollution, from which the environment will eventually recover, the impacts of invasive marine species are most often irreversible.”