The biofouling of marine structures must be controlled if crippling operational and maintenance costs are to be avoided and biological invasions prevented. However, traditional methods of biofouling control typically involve the use of toxic chemicals, which have their own drawbacks, both financial and environmental. For ships, the hull is the largest surface requiring a fouling-control coating; however, there are other so-cal...

The introduction of a surface into the marine environment begins a process known as biofouling, which increases the weight and hydrodynamic drag of the fouled structure. This process is detrimental to maritime vessels and costs the industry ∼$150B in fuel and maintenance spending annually. Preventing the settlement of fouling organisms mitigates these issues and limits the spread of non-indigenous species (NIS). This is primar...