3.3 HULL FOULING (BIO-FOULING)

Marine fouling is the settlement, attachment and growth of marine plants and animals on submerged structures such as ships hulls, navigation beacons, buoys and wharf pylons. These organisms also attach to natural hard substrates.
Fouling on ships occurs not only on hulls but also on propellers, underwater discharge and suction openings and their gratings and on various other appendages such as fins and thrusters. It is possible that fouling organisms could also be flushed out into port waters from pipe-work systems. Isolated areas of fouling which are not regularly cleaned because they do not affect the economic operation of the vessel also pose a risk of introduction.