Biofouling is a worldwide phenomenon plaguing mariners and accounting for economic burden on shipping, aquaculture and various other maritime industries. The fouling organisms cause extensive damage to commercially important marine structures causing increased drag of marine surface and submarine vessels incurring increased fuel penalties. . Antifouling is the phenomenon of preventing biofoulin...

Extracellular potassium concentration, [K⁺]o, plays a fundamental role in the physiological functions of the brain. Studies investigating changes in [K⁺]o have predominantly relied upon glass capillary electrodes with K⁺-sensitive solution gradients for their measurements. However, such electrodes are unsuitable for taking spatio-temporal measurements and are limited by the surface area of thei...

Many strategies have been developed to improve the fouling release (FR) performance of silicone coatings. However, biofilms inevitably build on these surfaces over time. Previous studies have shown that intentional deformation of silicone elastomers can be employed to detach biofouling species. In this study, inspired by the methods used in soft-robotic systems, controlled deformation of silico...

1 Overview Electricity generation from coal, natural gas, oil and nuclear sources involves the use of large volumes of process water. Two significant water-related issues confront the energy industry. The first involves biofouling of process surfaces and other power plant structures, leading to reduced energy efficiency and increased operational costs. A second challenge involves the accumulati...

A mathematical model was developed for combined fouling due to biofilms and mineral precipitates in membrane feed channels with spacers. Finite element simulation of flow and solute transport in two-dimensional geometries was coupled with a particle-based approach for the development of a composite (cells and crystals) foulant layer. Three fouling scenarios were compared: biofouling only, scali...

Much interest has focused on the role of microbial layers--biofilms--in stimulating attachment of invertebrates and algae to submerged marine surfaces. We investigated the influence of biofilms on the adhesion strength of settling invertebrates. Larvae of four species of biofouling invertebrate were allowed to attach to test surfaces that were either clean or coated with a natural biofilm. Meas...

Nanometer-thin coatings of polyhydroquinone (PHQ), which release and absorb protons upon oxidation and reduction, respectively, were tested for electrochemically induced anti-biofouling activity under the hypothesis that a dynamic pH environment would discourage fouling. Antifouling tests in artificial seawater using the marine, biofilm-forming bacterium Vibrio alginolyticus proved the coatings...