MERC is a State of Maryland and US Maritime Administration
initiative that provides test facilities, expertise, information, and
decision tools to address key environmental issues facing the
international maritime industry. Our primary focus is to evaluate the
mechanical and biological efficacy, costs, and logistical aspects of
ballast water treatment systems and to assess the economic impacts of
ballast water regulations and management approaches. MERC has also
recently established efforts to address other related issues, including
ship biofouling, alternative fuels and air emissions.
- MERC Services:
- – Provide technology developers/vendors with facilities
and expertise for evaluating ballast water treatments and other
environmental innovations,
- – Provide regulatory agencies and classification societies with standardized third-party data on system performance,
- – Provide ship builders and shipping lines with
information and decision tools to select the most appropriate treatment
options, and
- – Provide information and resources for Green Shipping efforts on the Chesapeake Bay, throughout the US, and around the world.
