Biofouling is the impairment or degradation of underwater surfaces or equipment as a result of the growth of living organisms. Organisms such as bacteria, protozoans, algae and crustaceans can accumulate in large numbers on surfaces like pipes, tanks.
Biofouling can occur anywhere water is present, and can pose major risks to structures, as the organisms can degrade and destroy objects. Biological growth may affect the acoustic signal and decrease the instruments range and quality of the data collected. It is a significant issue because data collection can be expensive, making sense to do everything possible to ensure data collected is trustworthy and high quality, and biofouling can disrupt this.
The biofouling process starts with the adsorption of organic molecules to a surface, leading to the connection of microorganisms, such as algae and bacteria. This biofilm may attract larger organisms, including marine invertebrates. These include mussels, sponges, barnacles, leading to shrimps, crabs, snails and other organisms. The impact of biofouling can be reduced by using methods such as application of substances, and other recently developed techniques.
Biofouling can pose huge issues on many marine industries, so Obot is able to reduce the effects and issues of Biofouling in these industries.
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