tailieunhanh - Impact of Nanocoating on micro and macro foulers in FRP, steel and wooden materials

The field experimental study with test panels was carried out in the jetty of CECRI, Regional centre, located inside the . Port at Thoothukudi. Test panels were made from selected boat building materials viz., wood, steel and FRP with a size of (15 cm h x 8 cm b and 12 mm thickness were tied in an iron frame with the dimension of cm x cm were allowed to hang at a depth of m. Periodical samplings were carried out to study the pattern of microfoulers (diatoms) followed by macrofouling communities. Under microfouling communities, 11 species of diatom identified on the test panels, Nitzchia spp. was found to be most hardy species recorded irrespective of the types of panel and treatments. Steel material showed very poor resistance to serpulid worms despite different treatments. Another important macrofouling community namely barnacles showed progressive increment in terms of numbers during soaking period. Two species of barnacles namely Balanus amphitrite and B. variegates were identified on the test panels, and of these B. amphitrite was found to be the dominant barnacles species. FRP panels showed very poor resistance to foulingby barnacles. Both antifouling treatments viz. (i) nanocoating with copper and (ii) antifouling paint application showed significant effect in controlling mussel and oyster settlement. Two species of mussels namely Perna indica and Anomia spp and two species of oysters viz. Crossesstrea madressensis and Pinctada fucata were recorded on control panels during the study period. However, their settlement was arrested when the plates were given treatment. The commercial grade antifouling paint showed better effect in controlling fouling by ascidians than by copper nanocoating treatment. | Impact of Nanocoating on micro and macro foulers in FRP, steel and wooden materials