Anti-Biofouling Functional Surfaces for Marine Aquaculture

Aquaculture is a global-scale industry providing sustainable production of protein-rich foods required to feed the growing world population. Microalgae cultivation in aquaculture bioreactors can exude extracellular polymeric substances leading biofouling culture infrastructure and increased algal disease risk. A structure–behaviour relationship was developed by examining how surface wettability range functional nanocoatings impacts extent during exposure continuous microalgae under normal hydrodynamic conditions. High-wetting (hydrophilic) surfaces were found reduce better than water-repelling (hydrophobic) surfaces. Low toxicity conjunction with antifouling behaviour for pulsed plasma poly(4-vinylpyridine) coated bioreactor (water contact angle = 38 ± 5°) towards marine microalgal species Chaetoceros calcitrans, mulleri, Tisochrysis lutea (T-Iso), which are commonly grown as food.