Defense mechanism employed by algae can effectively inhibit marine fouling
(PHYSorg.com Chemistry)

Chemists at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) have developed a method that reliably hinders hazardous seawater fouling and is effective, affordable, and easy on the environment. Fouling can occur, for example, as the result of the growth of bacteria, algae, or mollusks in harbor facilities, on boat hulls, and aquaculture netting. The resultant damage and consequential costs can be significant. It is estimated that these are equivalent to 200 billion dollars annually in the shipping industry alone. Protective coatings applied to vessels usually contain copper-based biocides. These have the disadvantage that they harm the environment while resistance to them can also develop. In order to find an alternative, the Mainz-based research team of Professor Wolfgang Tremel decided to simulate a defense mechanism employed by algae and established that cerium dioxide nanoparticles can effectively prevent fouling. This discovery could contribute towards the production of new protective coatings that are much less environmentally harmful than the hull coatings in use to date.