This team tested changes to the Canadian Shipping Federation’s Code of Conduct, extending ballast water Best Management Practice (BMP) requirements to No Ballast On Board (NOBOB) vessels entering the Great Lakes. The team identified where, when, and how ballast should be taken on even if it will be discharged before entering the Great Lakes ecosystem, how ballast tank sediment can be better managed and why saltwater exchange is necessary even when a ship is loaded with cargo. Following onboard and laboratory experiments, the team offered recommendations to address species that survive salinity fluctuations, thereby posing a greater invasion risk to the Great Lakes. Through this work, the team effectively developed a new technique for monitoring vessels and protecting the Great Lakes from aquatic invasive species.