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THE BREAKDOWN OF PAINT SURFACES BY ENTEROMORPHA SP.
Author(s) -
MOSS BETTY,
WOODHEAD P.
Publication year - 1970
Publication title -
new phytologist
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.742
H-Index - 244
eISSN - 1469-8137
pISSN - 0028-646X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1469-8137.1970.tb02482.x
Subject(s) - zoospore , germination , fouling , algae , settling , botany , scanning electron microscope , substrate (aquarium) , biology , environmental science , materials science , spore , ecology , composite material , environmental engineering , membrane , genetics
S ummaryEnteromorpha is the dominant alga associated with the fouling of large ships. Using the electron scanning microscope on germinating zoospores and on young plants which had been raised in culture it has been shown that the primary and subsequent rhizoids which are produced by the plant penetrate the substrate and so cause physical breakdown of a paint surface. Among the algae causing severe fouling of large ocean‐going ships, Enteromorpha is the most common. It sometimes occurs in such extensive growths as to slow a tanker down to about one‐third of its normal speed. Anti‐fouling paints have been designed mainly to resist or to repel the settling larvae of barnacles and other animals and since they do not prevent the growth of algae attention is now being focused to this problem. While studying the settlement of Enteromorpha swarmers on paint surfaces we looked at the method of attachment and the damage to the paint which resulted from their germination and growth. Observations were made with an electron scanning microscope so that the germinating zoospores could be seen in situ growing on a painted surface.