Succession of biofouling organisms on structural materials and their environmental drivers off the Kalpakkam coast, India
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.10096.18.5.28845-28861Keywords:
Biofouling succession, Coastal electric power station, coupons, Cooling water systems, Corrosion, Environmental parameters, Fouling area coverage, fibre reinforced plastic, Macrofouling, Microfouling, settlement, stainless steel, titaniumAbstract
The settlement and succession of marine fouling organisms were monitored on three structural materials—stainless steel (SS), titanium (Ti), and fibre-reinforced plastic (FRP)—over a 300-day static immersion in coastal waters of Kalpakkam along the eastern coast of India. Barnacles were found to be initial settlers, with 15 fouling species identified during the study period. The final climax community was dominated by green mussels, hydroids, and barnacles on all three substrates. Biofouling load was the highest on FRP (23.6 kg/m²), followed by SS (20.11 kg/m²) and Ti (16.19 kg/m²) after 300 days of exposure. Interestingly, green mussels colonized after 150 days of exposure signifying their preference for cues from the substratum. Correlation analysis revealed strong relationships between environmental parameters and fouling loads. Temperature and salinity were positively correlated (r = 0.874), while temperature and dissolved oxygen showed a negative correlation (r = -0.646). FRP surfaces supported the highest diversity and biomass accumulation compared to Ti and SS surfaces. Results of the study indicate material-specific differences in biofouling loads and findings have implication in the choice of material selection for cooling water system as well as for offshore aquaculture structures.
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