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Not AvailableBiofouling on aquaculture cage netting is a major problem and its management costs the quarter of the total budget. The present study aimed to develop an antifouling coating over surface modified polyethylene cage netting. Polyethylene nettings were surface modified with polyaniline and the same surface was coated with nano CuO incorporated polyethylene glycol hydrogel. Strong and uniform coating of polyaniline and hydrogel were formed over the nettings. This was evidenced by FTIR, AFM and SEM studies. The treated cage nets were exposed to the test sites of Cochin estuary for three months and they exhibited a significant reduction in fouling compared to untreated nettings. The nano CuO incorporated hydrogel coating was about 53 percentage more efficient than control. The CuO hydrogel was semi hydrophilic in nature, defect-free and more compact surface. These led to the protein inhibition, thereby biofouling resistance. The coating is a potential candidate for preventing biofouling in the cage nets.Not Availabl