Progress in anti-biofouling materials and coatings for the marine environment

Marine biological fouling typically refers to the phenomenon of bacteria, algae, barnacles and other organisms attached to marine facilities, growing and reproducting. This occurrence can cause significant damage to ships, seawater nets, and other facilities, leading to economic losses and ecosystem damage. Existing biological fouling control technologies mainly include physical, chemical, and biological aspects, among which anti-fouling coatings are the most mainstream anti-fouling method in chemical control technology. This paper specifically analyzes the causes of marine biological fouling and the factors that influence it, and evaluates the advantages and disadvantages of the traditional biological fouling control technology from multiple perspectives, and discusses the future development direction of the new biological fouling control technology. At the same time, this paper provides an overview of marine anti-fouling technology from the perspective of the latest classification. And by summarizing and generalizing the cutting-edge anti-fouling coatings, it aims to provide inspiration for the application and development of biofouling technology in harsh marine environments.