Biofilms to biofouling: field testing and determining causative factors in the development of the marine biofouling community.
Abstract
The Hadfield research group will provide rapid evaluation of experimental coatings in a tropical setting where biofouling is rapid and severe throughout the year. We will continue exploration of the diversity of biofilm bacterial species now known to induce the recruitment of major biofouling organisms, especially Hydroides elegans. Based on prior research in our lab, we will: (1) analyze bacterial communities on experimental surfaces and determine if and how they alter coating surfaces; (2) because prior research has shown them to be abundant in Pearl Harbor biofilms and important in cueing larval settlement, members of the bacterial order Rhodobacteraceae will be isolated from these biofilms and tested for their capacity as settlement inducers; (3) once isolated and genetically characterized, we will determine the abundance of inductive bacteria in multi-species biofilms using specific bacterial labelling technology. Together, this new information will advance understanding of the molecular elements that control biofouling from the first stages to the last.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Mar 11, 2020
- Source ID
- N000142012235
Entities
People
- Michael Hadfield
Organizations
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy
- University of Hawaiʻi System