The study of ballast water ecology examines the survival and interactions of organisms with their environment as they are transported in the ballast water of ships. Research studies by MIRL are focused on:

• Assessing the risk of biological invasions
• Understanding the survival mechanisms of aquatic invasive species
• Identifying patterns of survival which varies dependent on changing physical and biological factors
• For a given port system investigating what types of organisms are being discharged and the associated invasion risk

Extensive research has been conducted by MIRL and its collaborators on investigating the biota entrained in ballast tanks and the population dynamics of the organisms during transit. By gaining knowledge of what is being transported worldwide via ballast water, it is hoped that invasion risk can be reduced and that future invasions may be prevented.