TOWARD BIOLOGICAL ANTIFOULING SURFACE-COATINGS - MARINE-BACTERIA IMMOBILIZED IN HYDROGEL INHIBIT BARNACLE LARVAE

A new concept for the prevention of macrofouling has been developed, b ased on the immobilization of marine bacteria in hydrogels. A marine G ram-negative bacterium used in this study produces at least two extrac ellular components that inhibit the settlement of invertebrate larvae on surfaces. It was demonstrated that a 3-5% monomer concentration all owed for an optimum polyaclrylamide gel coating both with respect to t he viability of bacteria and barnacle larvae as well as to appropriate mechanical properties and gel pore size. In laboratory experiments th ese gel surfaces proved to be less favorable for the viability of barn acle larvae than gel surfaces without immobilized bacteria.