Biotechnological investigation for the prevention of biofouling. I. Biological and biochemical principles for the prevention of biofouling

Abstract

The most important b~ological and biochemcal methods with potential for the prevention of biofouling are descnbed Among these methods, the isolation of biogenic agents produced by several species of micro-and macroalgae and inanne invertebrates with antibacterial, antialgal, anhprotozoan and antlmacrofouhng properties may b e the most promising and effective method for the prevention of biofoul~ng The isolated substances with the most potent a n t~o u l a n t actlvlty are fatty a c~d s , terpenes terpenoids, hpoproteins, glycolipids, phenols, lactons, peptides and steroids The advantage of the utilization of micro-and macroalgae for the isolation of biogenic agents is that algae can be cultivated m a short tlme in mass culture, independent of season Furthermore, they can b e manipulated to a large extent in the direct~on of the 'production of biogenic agents' However, the cultivation of m c r o -and macroalgae is very expensive Manne Invertebrates must be collected In certain seasons This collection of manne invertebrates could lead to an uncontrolled explo~tation of marlne organisms and to a change in the balance of marine ecosystems. Therefore, determination of the chemical structure and the subsequent synthesis of the deterrmned biogenic agents is necessary if marine invertebrates are to be used as producers of biogenic agents. Ant~fouling systems must be both environmentally safe and effective for at least 3 yr when formulated as antifoul~ng paints. There have been a few attempts at t h~s , but no applicable successes have been reported to date KEY WORDS Antifouling . Biofouling Growth inhibition Marine bioactive agents . Macrofoulers .Microfoulers . Settlement

Progress of marine biofouling and antifouling technologies

“…After the initial reversible absorption, bacteria use extracellular polymers to temporarily adhere to the surface. These polymers are mainly glucose-and fructose-based polysaccharide fibrils [12]. The biofilm is formed when the bacterial communities secrete more EPS (Figure 4(a)).…”

“…Ulva spores are another well-studied macroorganism, and are extremely important in biofouling because of their abundance in seawater and adaptability to different environments [12]. The motile spores have four flagella and no polysaccharide-rich cell wall.…”

“…Some of the macrofouling organisms have been also researched in detail. The adhesion strategies of the three kinds of biofouling organisms (bacteria, microalgae, Figure 2 Temporal settlement of fouling organisms on a substrate surface [12]. and macroorganisms) are discussed in sections 1.1-1.3.…”

“…The most problematic biofouling effects arise because of colonization of macroorganisms such as spores of macro algae, barnacle larvae, bryozoans, molluscs, polychaete, tunicates, and coelenterates [12].…”

“…The major eukaryotic marine fouling microorganisms are diatoms, fungi, and protozoan, and the dominant organisms are diatoms [12,13].…”