Sustainable ballast water management: mitigating ecological impacts and supporting marine and coastal biodiversity

Ballast water is indispensable for the stability and safety of ships but remains a major pathway for invasive species, pathogens, and pollutants, generating ecological, economic, and public health risks. This review synthesizes evidence from recent literature (2020 - 2025) to evaluate impacts, governance frameworks, and treatment technologies. Ecologically, ballast discharge accelerates biodiversity loss, alters food webs, and increases harmful algal blooms, while economically it undermines fisheries, aquaculture, tourism, and coastal infrastructure. Social consequences include threats to food security and the well-being of communities reliant on marine resources. The review critically assesses existing measures such as the International Maritime Organization's Ballast Water Management Convention and national policies, highlighting persistent challenges in monitoring, enforcement, and capacity building, particularly in developing regions. Emerging treatment technologies, including advanced oxidation processes, electrochlorination, and nanotechnology, show promising efficacy but remain costly and energy-intensive. Comparative analysis indicates that hybrid treatment systems, which integrate mechanical filtration with UV or chemical disinfection, offer the most balanced compromise between compliance, effectiveness, and ecological safety. Case studies illustrate both successful applications and barriers linked to cost, scalability, and operational complexity. A distinctive contribution of this review is the explicit integration of ballast water management with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, especially SDG 14 (Life below Water). We argue that aligning regulatory, technological, and financial strategies with SDG indicators is essential for measuring progress and driving accountability. Future priorities include optimizing hybrid technologies for affordability, harmonizing international regulations, incentivizing industry compliance, and strengthening cooperative capacity building. Advancing sustainable ballast water management is urgent to safeguard marine ecosystems, sustain coastal economies, and protect global public health.

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