Evaluation of the Strength of Attachment of Enteromorpha Zoospores to Novel Polymer Surfaces

摘要

Enteromorpha is the most important macrofouling alga and the diatom Amphora is a dominant member of slimes that develop on all coatings including foul-release silicones. The objective of this research was to use these two species as models to understand fundamental aspects of adhesion and to apply this mechanistic understanding to a practical, laboratory scale evaluation of novel anti-fouling materials provided by other contractors. Two methods to apply hydrodynamic shear forces to adhered organisms were developed and used to characterize baseline adhesive properties on defined, model surfaces. A 5-point evaluation protocol was the developed for novel test surfaces, incorporating quantitative settlement, adhesion and removal assays. Test surfaces provided by 7 contractors were iteratively evaluated and the results reported for further development. Six papers were published in refereed journals.