Concerns about the bioaccumulation of toxic antifouling compounds have necessitated the search for alternative strategies to combat marine biofouling. Because many biologically essential minerals have deleterious effects on organisms at high concentration, one approach to preventing the settlement of marine foulers is increasing the local concentration of ions that are naturally present in seawater. Here, we used surface-active borate glasses as a platform to directly deliver ions (Na + , Mg 2+ and BO 4 3− ) to the adhesive interface under acorn barnacles ( Amphibalanus ( =Balanus ) amphitrite ). Additionally, surface-active glasses formed reaction layers at the glass–water interface, presenting another challenge to fouling organisms. Proteomics analysis showed that cement deposited on the gelatinous reaction layers is more soluble than cement deposited on insoluble glasses, indicating the reaction layer and/or released ions disrupted adhesion processes. Laboratory experiments showed that the majority (greater than 79%) of adult barnacles re-attached to silica-free borate glasses for 14 days could be released and, more importantly, barnacle larvae did not settle on the glasses. The formation of microbial biofilms in field tests diminished the performance of the materials. While periodic water jetting (120 psi) did not prevent the formation of biofilms, weekly cleaning did dramatically reduce macrofouling on magnesium aluminoborate glass to levels below a commercial foul-release coating. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Transdisciplinary approaches to the study of adhesion and adhesives in biological systems’.