Comprehensive Field Assessment of Marine Coatings and Ecological Analysis of Fouling Community Dynamics, White Paper ONR Code 33
Abstract
Development of effective non-toxic foul-release coatings relies on testing of the coatingsperformance both in the laboratory and under different field conditions. Evaluations ofcoating performance in the field and at field sites with different environmental parameters(e.g., tropical vs. temperate) is a critical component in the development of newformulations, and is a primary mechanism by which novel coatings are screened forperformance as foul-release surfaces. Over the three years we propose to continue toprovide coating assessments at our temperate static immersion field site for contractorswithin the ONR program. Field testing of marine coatings will consist of exposing testpanels to the natural marine environment and assessing: 1) the ability of the experimentalcoating to deter attachment of marine organisms; 2) the ease with which attached organismsare removed; and, 3) the ability of the coating to remain intact and prevent eventualcorrosion of the underlying surface. In addition to testing novel coatings, we plan toparticipate in the next iteration of the inter-site calibration study and to conduct additionalanalyses using our data on environmental parameters to explore which variables (e.g.,temperature, salinity, chlorophyll) can be used as predictors of recruitment of fouling species. As an extension of the intersite calibration study, we will conduct a principlecomponent and discriminate statistical analysis of fouling data from all 4 ONR static testsites. The analysis will assess how fouling community composition is changing within andbetween field sites during annual cycles. The major scientific advances and naval relevancefor our work in this area will be: 1) Facilitating the down-select process for multiple PI~swithin the biofouling program as they develop novel coatings; 2) increased understandingof the importance of static field testing across geographical locations; and, 3) increasedunderstanding of the dynamics of fouling communities and environmental factors thataffect recruitment.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Mar 11, 2020
- Source ID
- N000142012169
Entities
People
- Dean E Wendt
Organizations
- Cal Poly Corporation
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy