The History of the Prevention of Fouling

The effects of fouling have only recently been subject to systematic scientific inquiry. Its seriousness, however, has been recognized from very ancient times. Although written records of the treatment of ship bottoms as early as the 5th century B. C.have been found, the search for an antifouling surfacè undoubtedly began with even earlier ships about which we have little information. Historically, the development of these surfaces falls readily into three parts: (1) the repeated in-