A comparison of boat cleaning systems: invasive species removal, boater outreach and engagement, and cost

Bleitz M, Walters K, Latimore JA. 2024. A comparison of boat cleaning systems: invasive species removal, boater outreach and engagement, and cost. Lake Reserv Manage. 40:43–56. The movement of recreational boats is an overland transport pathway that places lakes at risk of invasion by aquatic invasive species. Lake organizations, governments, and conservation organizations may choose to install boat cleaning systems that use heated water, pressurized water, hand tools, vacuums, or a combination, to kill or remove attached organisms. Here we present a comparison of these various cleaning systems in terms of decontamination effectiveness, outreach effectiveness, and cost. We reviewed published literature and interviewed 12 invasive species experts representing 7 boat cleaning programs located in Michigan (each program owns 1 to 5 boat cleaning systems, for a total of 15). Our analysis indicates that there is no single best boat cleaning system. Selection of the most effective system for a particular situation should be guided by local invasion risk, management goals, and location and budget constraints of that situation.

Bleitz M、Walters K、Latimore JA于2024年发表研究《船舶清洁系统对比：入侵物种清除、船民宣传与参与及成本分析》，刊载于《湖泊与水库管理》（Lake Reserv Manage）40卷，页码43至56。休闲船舶的移动是一条陆路运输路径，使湖泊面临水生入侵物种（aquatic invasive species）入侵的风险。湖泊管理机构、政府部门与保护组织可选择安装采用热水、加压水、手工工具、真空设备或上述组合方式的船舶清洁系统（boat cleaning systems），以杀灭或清除附着的生物体。本研究针对上述各类清洁系统，从消毒效果（decontamination effectiveness）、宣传推广效果（outreach effectiveness）及成本三个维度展开对比分析。研究团队检索了已发表的相关文献，并访谈了来自密歇根州7个船舶清洁项目的12名入侵物种专家，每个项目配备1至5套船舶清洁系统，总计15套。分析结果表明，不存在普适性最优的船舶清洁系统。针对特定场景选择最有效的系统时，应结合当地入侵风险、管理目标、场地条件与预算约束进行综合考量。