The world is witnessing a rapid growth of international trade. The question arises, will the United States transportation infrastructure be able to handle the demand? This is a fundamental question to ask both the industrial as well as the environmental realms. U.S. ports are attractive sites for world trade because of the relationship of the dollar to foreign currencies and their growing market liberalization. The economic need for the container ships is in resoponse to the growing market demands for greater cargo capacity and speed of cargo ships. The pressure for the use of these enormous ships and the pressure for the development of megaports is coming from ocean carriers, exporters and importers.
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The shipping industry is growing and consequently so are the ships. One of the world's largest container ships was recently produced by the Maersk industry named Svendborg Maersk. This vessel is 347 meters long, 43 meters wide, 24 meters deep and has a draught of 14.5 meters. Because of the size of these enormous ships, ports are pressured to expand and deepen their channels. The dredging of channels to accomodate the container ships results in the destruction of the bay bottom habitat and the marine life that depends on it. These habitats may never fully recover. The short term risks of dredging the bay include cloudy water which may negatively impact the acquatic life. Sediments that are dumped on the bay bottom may also smother the marine life.
The release of ballast water into bays is also an important implication to note concerning the use of commercial shipping. Click here for information about Ballast water.
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