Disruption of the Primary Fouling Sequence on Fiber Glass-Reinforced Plastic Submerged in the Marine Environment

Authors

David A. Caron, University of Rhode Island
John M. Sieburth, University of Rhode Island

Document Type

Article

Date of Original Version

1981

Department

Oceanography

Abstract

Fiber glass-reinforced plastic immersed in an experimental estuarine mesocosm fouled at estimated rates of 0.5, 5.5, and 18.8 ng (wet weight) mm⁻² day⁻¹ over days 0 to 2, 2 to 6, and 6 to 14, respectively. Protists, dominated by diatoms, which developed between days 3 and 6 and covered 90% of the undisturbed surface in 2 weeks, were effectively removed by twice-weekly brushing of the surface to maintain an immature 3-day bacterial film which covered 12% or less of the surface and had a biomass 3 orders of magnitude smaller than surfaces with 2 weeks' unrestricted fouling. Direct brushing of the fiber glass-reinforced plastic tank walls of experimental estuarine mesocosms minimized the “wall effect” by keeping a surface that maintained a low biomass of a slowly accumulating bacterial film rather than a surface which supported the more rapid accumulation of protists which in turn may induce the settlement of invertebrates and macrophytes.

Citation/Publisher Attribution

Caron, D. A., & Sieburth, J. M. (1981). Disruption of the Primary Fouling Sequence on Fiber Glass-Reinforced Plastic Submerged in the Marine Environment. Appl. Environ. Microbiol., 41(1), 268-273. Retrieved from http://aem.asm.org/content/41/1/268.long.

Available at: http://aem.asm.org/content/41/1/268.long