Final answer:
Ballast Water (BW) management in the US involves regulations by the USCG that include Ballast Water Exchange (BWE) and Ballast Water Treatment Systems (BWTS) to maintain safe concentrations of organisms, aiming to reduce the environmental impact of shipping activities.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question pertains to the management and regulations of Ballast Water (BW) discharge by ships, specifically under USCG (the United States Coast Guard) and AFI 11-202V3 regulations. The Ballast Water Management (BWM) involves the exchange of ballast water at sea (BWE) to reduce the risk of introducing non-indigenous species into local waters. Since June 2012, regulations have expanded to not only require BWE but also the use of BW treatment systems (BWTS) to meet specified discharge standards for organism concentration levels. As such, the BW management is an important element in reducing environmental risks associated with ship ballasting operations.
Previously, overseas ballast water required management through a BWE process, mainly conducted over 200 nautical miles from shore. Yet, the enforcement of concentration-based standards requires the development and implementation of approved BWTS. This has presented a challenge due to the variety of ship types and operational conditions. Furthermore, while BWE is a primary method, it is not a complete solution, and concentration-based standards via BWTS are seen as the next frontier in effectively managing the BW vector to decrease the probability of introducing invasive species.