Eco-Friendly Antifouling Coatings for Aquaculture Nets

The fouling of artificial surfaces by fouling organisms in aquaticecosystems is called biofouling. Biofouling has undesirable consequences forthe aquaculture industry. The large habitat provided by aquaculture nets tobiofouling organisms causes fouling organisms to invade this surface. Due tobiofouling, the pores of the cage nets are closed, the total mass andhydrodynamic friction increase and damage the cage system carriers. Antifoulingtechnologies are applied to protect against harmful effects caused bybiofoling. When the literature was searched, it was observed that the number ofstudies to protect aquaculture nets from biofouling organisms was insufficient.In this study, the antifouling activities of different biocides were tested onaquaculture nets in the development of environmentally friendly antifoulingpaints. Within the scope of the study, econea, diuron and irgarol were used asbiocidal agents. Antifouling coatings were produced by adding selected biocidesto lanolin, paraffin wax, styrene-acrylic copolymer and rosin matrices at a percenrageof 3% (w/w). The produced antifouling coatings were coated on aquaculture netsby dip-coat method. Field tests were carried out in Izmir in August – September2021. According to the results obtained from the first field test, antifoulingactivity was determined in biocide-free formulations of rosin and lanolinmatrices compared to other matrices. In addition, after the first field test,biofouling organisms attached to the aquaculture nets were examined and it wasdetermined that Balanus amphitrite, Ulva lactuca, Hydroides elegans and Bugulaneritina species were found in high density. In the first field test, rosinand lanolin matrices, which showed antifouling activity, were used with theaddition of biocides in the second field test. According to the results of thestudy, the highest antifouling activity was obtained with econea. Diuron andIrgarol biocides ranked second and third according to their antifoulingperformance. As a result, it is suggested that a biocide called econea can beused in this field to protect aquaculture nets from the harmful effects ofbiofouling organisms.