OREANDA-NEWS  Russian scientists from Far Eastern research institutes have found a way to use substances released by bacteria to protect the hulls of ships from harmful fouling with microorganisms and algae, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation told RIA Novosti.

As a result of the impact of algae, microorganisms and even some animals, both mobile and stationary structures are damaged – ships, oil and gas platforms, hydraulic structures, oceanographic equipment and others. Biofouling on ships also increases the friction between the hull and the water, which leads to greater fuel consumption (an increase of up to 40-50%) and reduced maneuverability.

The most popular method of protecting surfaces in seawater from fouling is the use of antifouling coatings with biocides, mainly represented by copper compounds. But their use has led to the fact that more than five tons of heavy metal compounds are released into the aquatic environment every year. In ports, with the accumulation of ships whose hulls are covered with such means, toxic substances released from them accumulate in quantities exceeding the norm.

To avoid the harmful effects of antifouling coatings, Russian scientists from two institutes of the Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Institute of Chemistry and the Zhirmunsky National Scientific Center for Marine Biology have joined forces to create an eco-friendly coating using microbial biosynthesis products. At the same time, the search for non-toxic and environmentally friendly substances in the fight against algae has been conducted since the 1990s, RIA Novosti reported on Tuesday, March 21, with reference to the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation.

"Natural compounds with antifouling activity have been isolated from seaweed, sponges, ascidia, corals. However, it is microorganisms that are a valuable and easily renewable source of natural antifouling compounds, since their use makes it possible to obtain a sufficient number of active compounds, including on an industrial scale, without depleting natural resources," explained Ulyana Kharchenko, one of the developers of the coating, a researcher at the Institute of Chemistry of the Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

A strain of one of the marine bacteria species isolated by Russian scientists showed high antimicrobial and antifouling activity. The biological substances produced by this strain were used by specialists as a natural biocide to develop an eco-friendly coating. The main biocidal component was an encapsulated bacterial extract, effective against microbes and algae.

The effectiveness of the new coating was experimentally demonstrated. The experiments were conducted at the Tropical Center in the South China Sea (Vietnam).