Aquatic Bioinvasions Associated with Ships: Possible Solutions or Lost Cause?
Russell Herwig
Research Associate Professor
School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences
Marine Ballast Water Specialist
Washington Sea Grant
15 April 2008
Download an audio recording of the talk
About the speaker
Russell Herwig is an aquatic microbiologist and microbial ecologist. He serves as the Marine Ballast Water Specialist with the Marine Advisory Services, Washington Sea Grant Program. He also leads the UW Ballast Water Research Team out of the UW School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences.
His research focuses on the development and use of molecular methods to understand the composition of microbial communities and to identify the presence of particular microbial species in environmental samples. More specifically, he is interested in the introduction of non-indigenous aquatic organisms in ballast water, development of ballast water treatment technologies that can be used to control the introduction of non-indigenous organisms, biodegradation of anthropogenic compounds and the microorganisms that are capable of degrading environmental contaminants in aquatic environments, and microbiology of aquatic animals and understanding the role of microorganisms in the health and nutrition of aquatic animals found in natural and aquaculture settings.
Dr. Herwig has a bachelor of science degree in Biology from Muhlenberg College, a M.S. in Marine Science from the College of William and Mary, and a Ph.D. in Fisheries (emphasis in Marine Microbiology) from the University of Washington.