New Study Tracks Extent of Barnacle Biofouling on Vessels
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Seventy percent of pure car carriers and container ships examined in a recent study were found to have barnacle biofouling with varying intensity present on their underwater hull. For tankers, the biofouling reached nearly 90% of the ships scrutinized.
The study inspected 685 vessels, a fraction of the 55,000 merchant ships trading internationally. But the percentages give pause to the realization that with the biofouling comes increased vessel emissions and fuel costs.
In the study, more than one in five vessels inspected were found to have 20% or more of their underwater hull surface covered with barnacle biofouling; just 140 vessels in the study exhibited the optimal biofouling coverage of less than 0.1%.
A variety of causes can invite the biofouling, from different paint systems to speed, activity and route. As the biofouling increases, so do the vessel’s fuel use and emissions.
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