INTERRELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MARINE BIOFOULING AND CATHODIC PROTECTION

Microorganisms colonize and form a gelatinous biofilm on all engineeri ng materials exposed in natural marine environments, including cathodi cally protected surfaces. The impact of cathodic protection (CP) poten tials on the chemical/biological composition of the biofilm and the im pact of the biofilms on potentials required for CP have been the subje ct of many recent investigations. Literature on these subjects will be reviewed with emphasis on clarifying interactions between living and nonliving deposits on cathodically protected metal surfaces.