Interspecific variation in patterns of adhesion of marine fouling to silicone surfaces

The adhesion of six fouling organisms: the barnacle Balanus eburneus, the gastropod mollusc Crepidulafornicata, the bivalve molluscs Crassostrea virginica and Ostrea/Dendrostrea spp., and the serpulid tubeworms Hydroides dianthus and H. elegans, to 12 silicone fouling-release surfaces was examined. Removal stress (adhesion strength) varied among the fouling species and among the surfaces. Principal component analysis of the removal stress data revealed that the fouling species fell into two distinct groups, one comprising the bivalve molluscs and tubeworms, and the other the barnacle and the gastropod mollusc. None of the silicone materials generated a minimum in removal stress for all the organisms tested, although several surfaces produced low adhesion strengths for both groups of species. These results suggest that fouling-release materials do not rank (in terms of adhesion strength) identically for all fouling organisms, and thus development of a globally-effective hull coating will continue to require testing against a diversity of encrusting species.     

Recent developments in superhydrophobic surfaces and their relevance to marine fouling: a review

Abstract

In this review, a brief synopsis of superhydrophobicity (i.e. extreme non-wettability) and its implications on marine fouling are presented. A short overview of wettability and recent experimental developments aimed at fabricating superhydrophobic surfaces by tailoring their chemical nature and physical appearance (i.e. substratum texture) are reviewed. The formation of responsive/“smart” surfaces, which adjust their physico-chemical properties to variations in some outside physical stimulus, including light, temperature, electric field, or solvent, is also described. Finally, implications of tailoring the surface chemistry, texture, and responsiveness of surfaces on the design of effective marine fouling coatings are considered and discussed.     

Adhesion and motility of fouling diatoms on a silicone elastomer

Recent demands for non-toxic antifouling technologies have led to increased interest in coatings based on silicone elastomers that ‘release’ macrofouling organisms when hydrodynamic conditions are sufficiently robust. However, these types of coatings accumulate diatom slimes, which are not released even from vessels operating at high speeds ( > 30 knots). In this study, adhesion strength and motility of three common fouling diatoms (Amphora coffeaeformis var. perpusilla (Grunow) Cleve, Craspedostauros australis Cox and Navicula perminuta Grunow) were measured on a polydimethylsiloxane elastomer (PDMSE) and acid-washed glass. Adhesion of the three species was stronger to PDMSE than to glass but the adhesion strengths varied. The wall shear stress required to remove 50% of cells from PDMSE was 17 Pa for Craspedostauros, 24 Pa for Amphora and >> 53 Pa for Navicula; the corresponding values for glass were 3, 10 and 25 Pa. In contrast, the motility of the three species showed little or no correlation between the two surfaces. Craspedostauros moved equally well on glass and PDMSE, Amphora moved more on glass initially before movement ceased and Navicula moved more on PDMSE before movement ceased. The results show that fouling diatoms adhere more strongly to a hydrophobic PDMSE surface, and this feature may contribute to their successful colonization of low surface energy, foul-release coatings. The results also indicate that diatom motility is not related to adhesion strength, and motility does not appear to be a useful indicator of surface preference by diatoms.     

Sediment challenge to promising ultra-low fouling hydrophilic surfaces in the marine environment

Hydrophilic coatings exhibit ultra-low fouling properties in numerous laboratory experiments. In stark contrast, the antifouling effect of such coatings in vitro failed when performing field tests in the marine environment. The fouling release performance of nonionic and zwitterionic hydrophilic polymers was substantially reduced compared to the controlled laboratory environment. Microscopy and spectroscopy revealed that a large proportion of the accumulated material in field tests contains inorganic compounds and diatomaceous soil. Diatoms adhered to the accumulated material on the coating, but not to the pristine polymer. Simulating field tests in the laboratory using sediment samples collected from the test sites showed that incorporated sand and diatomaceous earth impairs the fouling release characteristics of the coatings. When exposed to marine sediment from multiple locations, particulate matter accumulated on these coatings and served as attachment points for diatom adhesion and enhanced fouling. Future developments of hydrophilic coatings should consider accumulated sediment and its potential impact on the antifouling performance.     

海洋污损生物数据管理系统的设计与构建

固着或栖息在船舶和人工设施水下部位的海洋污损生物, 会对人们的涉海活动产生不利影响, 其群落的形成和发展过程与温度、盐度、深度、季节、海域、浸海时间、离岸距离和附着基类型等多种因素密切相关。为便于系统分析和综合处理各海区污损生物资料, 理清各要素之间的内在关系, 需要一个能将上述因子与生物群落参数有机地结合起来的数据平台, 将分散、零星的资料予以归纳整合并通过网络共享, 以更好地为生产实践和科学研究服务。本研究采用Internet技术, 应用ASP.NET框架和MySQL数据库, 使用MS Visual Studio 2013设计并开发了服务端部署在Windows 7或Windows Server 2008 R2 (推荐)操作系统上的海洋污损生物数据管理系统, 实现了基于网络的海洋污损生物数据集成、储存与管理, 可完成来源不同、时相变化和海区多样的污损生物数据资料的集成与储存, 能通过单一或多种组合条件进行查询和检索, 并可根据用户的需要导出多种格式的检索结果报表。该系统具备操作简便、方便网络共享、易于升级更新和开拓新功能等特点, 能有效满足科研、生产和管理部门的需要。     

Interspecific variation in the defence secretions of Nasutitermes soldiers

Termite soldiers of the genus Nasutitermes (Isoptera, Termitidae, Nasutitermitinae) eject a viscous, sticky defense secretion composed of non-polar monoterpene hydrocarbons and polyoxygenated diterpenes from the frontal gland. Chemical compositions are described in detail for the East African species, N. kempae and N. infuscatus, and for the Neotropical species N. ephratae. Additional comparisons with the new world species N. costalis, N. rippertii and N. octopilis are presented. The structure of a new monohydroxykempene from N. ephratae is described, and a physicochemical model for the stickiness of the glue is presented. Although the structures of the individual secretion components vary within the genus, the glue-like nature of the secretion remains essentially unchanged. Chemical analysis of soldier defense secretions may be useful in studying the systematic biology of termites.     

Effects of surface texture and interrelated properties on marine biofouling: a systematic review

This systematic review examines effects of surface texture on marine biofouling and characterizes key research methodologies. Seventy-five published articles met selection criteria for qualitative analysis; experimental data from 36 underwent quantitative meta-analysis. Most studies investigated fouling mechanisms and antifouling performance only in laboratory assays with one to several test species. Textures were almost exclusively a single layer of regularly arranged geometric features rather than complex hierarchical or irregular designs. Textures in general had no effect or an inconclusive effect on fouling in 46% of cases. However, effective textures more often decreased (35%) rather than increased (19%) fouling. Complex designs were more effective against fouling (51%) than were regular geometric features (32%). Ratios of feature height, width, or pitch to organism body length were significant influences. The authors recommend further research on promising complex and hierarchical texture designs with more test species, as well as field studies to ground-truth laboratory results.     

四种乡土珍贵阔叶树种叶功能性状的种内和种间变异

植物功能性状种间性状变异反映不同物种的生活史对策,种内性状变异反映了同一物种不同个体应对不同环境的性状应答.人工林均一的环境有利于深入分析不同树种种内和种间变异.该研究以南宁良凤江林场的四种乡土珍贵阔叶树种[观光木(Tsoongiodendron odorum)、红锥(Castanopsis hystrix)、灰木莲(...     

Biofouling and barnacle adhesion data for fouling‐release coatings subjected to static immersion at seven marine sites

Little is known about the performance of fouling‐release coatings at different geographical locations. An investigation was designed to measure the differences in biofouling and biofouling adhesion strength on three known silicone formulations and an epoxy control at seven static immersion sites located in California, Florida, Hawaii, Hong Kong, India, Italy and Singapore. The study found that whilst the relative performance of the coatings was similar at each site, there were statistically significant differences in the type and intensity of fouling that developed on the coatings and in barnacle adhesion strength among sites. The results emphasize the importance of evaluating potential coatings at more than one static immersion site.     

Towards an absolute scale for adhesion strength of ship hull microfouling

In-water ships’ hull cleaning enables significant fuel savings through removal of marine fouling from surfaces. However, cleaning may also shorten the lifetime of hull coatings, with a subsequent increase in the colonization and growth rate of fouling organisms. Deleterious effects of cleaning would be minimized by matching cleaning forces to the adhesion strength of the early stages of fouling, or microfouling. Calibrated waterjets are routinely used to compare different coatings in terms of the adhesion strength of microfouling. However, an absolute scale is lacking for translating such results into cleaning forces, which are of interest for the design and operation of hull cleaning devices. This paper discusses how such forces can be determined using computational fluid dynamics. Semi-empirical formulae are derived for forces under immersed waterjets, where the normal and tangential components of wall forces are given as functions of different flow parameters. Nozzle translation speed is identified as a parameter for future research, as this may affect cleaning efficacy.     

Variation in adhesion strength of Balanus eburneus,crassostrea virginica and hydroides dianthus to fouling‐release coatings

This study compared the shear adhesion strength of barnacles, oysters and tubeworms on eight RTV 11‐based silicone fouling‐release coatings containing different silicone oil additives. It was found that adhesion strength differed among species and coating types. In most cases, oysters and tubeworms had higher adhesion strengths than barnacles. Barnacle adhesion strength was reduced on all coatings containing oil additives; however, this was not generally true for oysters and tubeworms. The difference in the adhesion strength among the three organisms tested in this study emphasizes the importance of understanding the fundamental interaction between marine invertebrate adhesives and the substratum.     

The role of conditioning film formation in Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 adhesion to inert surfaces in aquatic environments

Bacterial initial adhesion to inert surfaces in aquatic environments is highly dependent on the surface properties of the substratum, which can be altered significantly by the formation of conditioning films. In this study, the impact of conditioning films formed with extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) on bacterial adhesion was investigated. Adhesion of wild type Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 to slides coated with model EPS components (alginate, humic substances, and bovine serum albumin (BSA)) was examined. Surface roughness of conditioning film coated slides was evaluated by atomic force microscopy (AFM), and its effect on the bacterial initial adhesion was not significant. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) studies were performed to determine the elemental surface compositions of bacterial cells and substrates. Results showed that bacterial adhesion to bare slides and slides coated with alginate and humic substances increased as ionic strength increased. Conversely, BSA coating enhanced bacterial adhesion at low ionic strength but hindered adhesion at higher ionic strength. It was concluded that forces other than hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions were involved in controlling bacterial adhesion to BSA coated surfaces. A steric model for polymer brushes that considers the combined influence of steric effects and DLVO interaction forces was shown to adequately describe the observed bacterial adhesion behaviors.     

Using textured PDMS to prevent settlement and enhance release of marine fouling organisms

The antifouling efficacy of a series of 18 textured (0.2–1000 μm) and non-textured (0 μm) polydimethylsiloxane surfaces with the profiles of round- and square-wave linear grating was tested by recording the settlement of fouling organisms in the laboratory and in the field by monitoring the recruitment of a multi-species fouling community. In laboratory assays, the diatoms Nitzschia closterium and Amphora sp. were deterred by all surface topographies regardless of texture type. Settlement of propagules of Ulva sp. was lower on texture sizes less than the propagule size, and settlement of larvae of Saccostrea glomerata and Bugula neritina was lower on texture sizes closest to, but less than, the sizes of larvae. After a six month field trial, all textured surfaces lost their deterrent effect; however, the foul-release capabilities of textures were still present. High initial attachment was correlated with most fouling remaining after removal trials, indicating that fouling organisms recruited in higher numbers to surfaces upon which they attached most strongly.     

The surface properties of some silicone and fluorosilicone coating materials immersed in seawater

Changes in the surface properties of some silicone elastomers (General Electric RTV11, RTV160 and RTV655) and fluorosilicones (‐(Si(CH₃)((CH₂)₃‐O(CH₂)₂(CF₂)_XCF₃)‐O)_n‐, x = 5,7,9) on prolonged immersion in water (distilled water, artificial seawater, filtered and unfiltered seawater) have been investigated using measurements of advancing and receding contact angles, of surface roughness and of water uptake. Considerable increases in hydrophilicity and surface rugosity are attributed mainly to surface structural rearrangements accompanying absorption of water; these effects are greater for the fluorosilicones and the rugosity of RTV160 also increased considerably. Observations of early marine settlement (up to 16 weeks in flowing seawater), visualised by scanning electron microscopy, showed patchy attachment mainly of bacteria and microalgae while mature biofilms were formed on the poly(methylmethacrylate) controls. Although settlement was least on RTV11 and greatest on the fluorosilicones, the range of variation was small relative to the differences in the long‐term fouling resistance of the materials. The design requirements for fouling resistance of a smooth, soft, uniform surface are supported.     

化学生态学在海洋污损生物防除中的应用

在海洋环境中,许多海洋生物都能产生对环境无危害的、具有防污活性的次生代谢产物以保护自身的洁净,利于自身的生存.用化学生态学的方法从海洋生物中提取天然防除物质成为近年来解决海洋污损生物问题的新思路,其目标是寻找高效无毒的防污材料取代原有的对海洋环境有严重危害的化学合成防污材料.虽然目前对提取生物的次生代谢产物的防污机理还所知甚少,但不少从海洋生物中获得的天然产物已显示出良好的防污活性.要解决污损生物防污问题,还需对天然产物的作用机制、生态学效应、天然产物与涂料的结合、控制和释放及野外实验进行更加深入的研究与探讨.     

亚热带常绿落叶阔叶混交林植物功能性状的种间和种内变异

不同物种间的功能性状差异是自然生态系统中物种共存的基础, 而物种内个体间的性状变异对物种的共存和分布同样具有重要作用。本文以湖北星斗山自然保护区亚热带常绿落叶阔叶混交林内28种主要树种(通过物种多度排序获得, 其中常绿和落叶树种各14种)为研究对象, 探讨不同叶习性树种的4种功能性状(比叶面积、叶干物质含量、叶面积和比茎密度)在种间和种内的差异程度。结果表明: (1)常绿和落叶树种在4种功能性状上均存在显著差异, 常绿树种的比叶面积和叶面积显著低于落叶树种, 但叶干物质含量和比茎密度则显著高于落叶树种; (2)比叶面积的变化主要来源于叶习性(57.49%), 叶面积变化主要来源于种间(66.80%)和种内变异(27.52%), 叶干物质含量的变化主要来源于种间(38.12%)和种内(33.88%)变异, 但比茎密度的变化主要来源于种内变异(51.50%), 其次为种间变异(32.52%); (3)常绿和落叶树种种间水平的性状相关性可能掩盖各功能性状之间的相关性。种内变异能够显著影响群落间的植物功能性状差异, 但不同功能性状的种内变异程度存在差异。     

The effect of surface colour on the adhesion strength of Elminius modestus Darwin on a commercial non-biocidal antifouling coating at two locations in the UK

A number of factors affect the adhesion strength of organisms to fouling-release coatings, and except for a few studies focussing on black or white surfaces none have dealt specifically with the effect of coating colour. The aim was to test the effect of colour on the adhesion strength of the barnacle Elminius modestus. Panels coated in six commercial colours of Intersleek 700® were submerged at two field sites and barnacles were pushed-off using a standard assay procedure. The strength of adhesion (SOA) varied between and within sites for colour and by barnacle basal area, SOA per unit area being higher for smaller barnacles. Higher SOA with a small basal area may be because of size-specific predation, differential hydrodynamic effects or adhesive failure with age. The complex effect of colour on barnacle adhesion may be because of physico-chemical surface characteristics varying with pigments, and their interactions with local environmental conditions, as well as interactions with the settling barnacle larvae.     

Latitudinal variation in diet and patterns of human interaction in the marine otter

The marine otter (Lontra felina) inhabits patches of rocky coastline from central Peru to southern Chile and is classified as Endangered by the IUCN. Given the limited information available about the species, we set out to assess marine otter diet with a view to detecting latitudinal differences, and to assess marine otter activity budgets and interspecific interactions (including anthropogenic) at Peruvian fishing villages and to compare results with similar Chilean studies. Nine study sites from central Chile to southern Peru were sampled for otter spraints to assess relative frequency of prey types and two fishing ports in southern Peru were monitored through focal and scan observations to assess activity patterns, interspecific interactions, habitat use patterns, and dive durations. Results indicate that toward the northern part of its range, crustaceans become less important and fish more important in the diet. Interactions were observed between marine otters and other species, including stray dogs and cats. The strong dependence of marine otters on the availability of safe rocky shelters, and the species’ apparent tolerance to living alongside humans raise conservation concerns about vulnerability to anthropogenic threats. These factors, if not correctly managed, could turn some of these rocky seashore patches into population sinks.     

Interspecific and temporal variation in herbivore responses to hybrid willows

We studied herbivory of two species of willows (Salix sericea and S. eriocephala) and their interspecific hybrids to test alternative hypotheses concerning the effects of hybridization on plant resistance. Individually marked plants were identified using morphological traits in the field and random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) band analysis was used to verify the genetic status of many parental and hybrid plants. The desities of 12 herbivore species on plants in the field were compared between two parents and their F₂-type hybrids. We found about equal support for the additive, dominance, and hybrid susceptibility hypotheses over 4 years. In one year, one species supported the hybrid resistance hypothesis. Guild membership was not a good predictor of similar responses of species to hybrid versus parental plants. There were marked differences in support for particular hypotheses among years for four herbivore species. This study demonstrates the diversity of responses of phytophages in response to interspecific hybridization, and indicates that year-to-year variation in relative resistance of hybrid plants can be important.