The development of marine biofilms on two commercial non-biocidal coatings: a comparison between silicone and fluoropolymer technologies

The antimicrobial performance of two fouling-release coating systems, Intersleek 700® (IS700; silicone technology), Intersleek 900® (IS900; fluoropolymer technology) and a tie coat (TC, control surface) was investigated in a short term (10 days) field experiment conducted at a depth of ca 0.5 m in the Marina Bandar Rawdha (Muscat, Oman). Microfouling on coated glass slides was analyzed using epifluorescence microscopy and adenosine-5′-triphosphate (ATP) luminometry. All the coatings developed biofilms composed of heterotrophic bacteria, cyanobacteria, seven species of diatoms (2 species of Navicula, Cylindrotheca sp., Nitzschia sp., Amphora sp., Diploneis sp., and Bacillaria sp.) and algal spores (Ulva sp.). IS900 had significantly thinner biofilms with fewer diatom species, no algal spores and the least number of bacteria in comparison with IS700 and the TC. The ATP readings did not correspond to the numbers of bacteria and diatoms in the biofilms. The density of diatoms was negatively correlated with the density of the bacteria in biofilms on the IS900 coating, and, conversely, diatom density was positively correlated in biofilms on the TC. The higher antifouling efficacy of IS900 over IS700 may lead to lower roughness and thus lower fuel consumption for those vessels that utilise the IS900 fouling-release coating.