Attachment point theory revisited: the fouling response to a microtextured matrix

This paper examines attachment point theory in detail by testing the fouling attachment of several fouling groups to a microtextured matrix. Static bioassays were conducted on polycarbonate plates with nine equal regions, comprising eight scales of microtexture (4-512m) and one untextured region. The microtextures examined were continuous sinusoidal ridges and troughs of defined height and width. Attachment over the microtextured plates was examined for the diatom Amphora sp., the green alga Ulva rigida, the red alga Centroceras clavulatum, the serpulid tube worm Hydroides elegans and the bryozoan Bugula neritina. It was found that the size of the microtexture in relation to the size of the settling propagules/larvae was important in the selection of attachment sites. Attachment was generally lower when the microtexture wavelength was slightly smaller than the width of the settling propagules/larvae and increased when the wavelength was wider than their width. The effect of attachment points was weak for small motile microfoulers (Amphora sp. and U. rigida) (7m), strong for large macrofouling larvae (H. elegans and B. neritina) (129-321m) and non-existent for the non-motile algal spores (C. clavulatum) (37m). This study reinforces the potential of using attachment points to develop surfaces with increased fouling resistance or, alternatively, surfaces which promote the attachment of selected target sizes of motile propagules or larvae.