| AVS 54th International Symposium | |
| Marine Biofouling Topical Conference | Tuesday Sessions |
| Session MB+BI-TuP |
| Session: | Marine Biofouling Poster Session |
| Presenter: | E.R. Holm, Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division |
| Authors: | E.R. Holm, Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division R.A. Brizzolara, Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division |
| Correspondent: | Click to Email |
The key step in the accumulation of biofouling on immersed surfaces is the permanent attachment of fouling organisms. Patterns of attachment and adhesion of biofouling, in response to surface properties, vary both among and within species. This variation may be mediated by interactions between surfaces and biological adhesives. We have been studying this interaction for the barnacle, Balanus amphitrite. Our initial approach addresses the propensity of barnacle adhesive to wet modified glass surfaces and commercially-available and experimental silicone fouling-release coatings. Glass surfaces were modified with various organosilane coatings to produce a range of water wettabilities. We verified attachment of organosilane to glass with XPS. We have been quantifying wetting by barnacle adhesive as contact angle. Preliminary results, for modified glass surfaces, indicated that for hydrophilic surfaces, contact angles for adhesive were equivalent to that for water. As surfaces became more hydrophobic, however, contact angles for barnacle adhesive became more variable than those for water. Individual measurements were occasionally substantially lower than typical water contact angles. Differences in contact angle among adhesive samples may be related to the protein content of the adhesive, which varies strongly among individual barnacles. Results will be related to attachment of larval barnacles and adhesion of adult barnacles. Funded by the NSWC Carderock Division In-House Laboratory Independent Research Program.