A surface in the marine environment will be covered by a vast range of organisms, bacteria, algae or different invertebrates. This phenomenon is called marine biofouling. For many marine organisms, to adhere and to grow on surfaces is an essential survival strategy. Everything, from turtles to wrecks, are subject for fouling. For the marine industry, this is a major factor that has a negative impact on performance, the economy and the environment.
Over the years, many methods have been tried to protect ship hulls. The principal approach has been making the hull toxic through coatings containing a vast range of toxic compounds, such as lead, mercury, and arsenic. A major substance from the 1960’s and forward was the organic tin compounds known as tributyltin or TBT. This substance is now banned world wide by the International Maritime Organization (IMO). Today, cuprous oxide is the most common used substance to prevent fouling, often in combination with co-biocides.
The worst problems are caused by barnacles. Barnacles are small crustaceans, well hidden within a calcified shell and from the outside they look more like a mussel, but are more closely related to a shrimp than a mussel. As larvae they are free-swimming, searching for new surfaces to colonize.
By knowing the barnacle biology, from genes to behaviour, I-Tech’s Selektope based anti-fouling products are based on a scientific understanding how to prevent barnacle larvae from attaching to a surface.