Abstract
Our knowledge about the interaction of materials used in aquaculture with biofouling species
is largely restricted to sheltered coastal areas. Little is known about the susceptibility and
specificity of different materials, or the effectiveness of antifouling (AF) coatings, to the
incrustation by large biofouling species in high wave-energy environments. Since these
energetic habitats are becoming increasingly targeted by the aquaculture industry, and since
there is increasing concerns about the use of harmful antifouling coatings, it is urgent to
boost our knowledge about biofouling risks in these environments. Here we assessed whether
biofouling composition, main species, and biomass accumulation rates were different among
three materials, aluminum, high-density polyethylene (HDPE), and steel A36, and at two
different depths of exposed shore in central Chile. We hypothesized that either colonization
was material-specific and/or the adhesion of macrofoulers to the different materials (tenacity)
was sufficiently different that waves could remove them from some surfaces more than others.
Additionally, we evaluated the performance of an antifouling paint widely used in aquaculture
operations in Chile. All materials were colonized by macrofouling within three months of
exposure, with no significant differences in either species composition, total cover, or the rate
of biomass accumulation. No significant settlement of macrofouling was found on plates coated
with the antifouling paint after seven months of exposure. The fast growth rates and similar
composition of macrofouling suggest that the large differences in roughness and hydrophobic
character among materials are not sufficient to produce differential settlement or dislodgement
in these biofouling communities. The efficacy of the tested antifouling paint suggest that this
paint could be used as reference when testing more environmentally-friendly coatings, such as
those using biomimetic approaches.