ABSTRACT

Microfouling includes initial events that result in biofilm formation, while macrofouling describes the settlement/development of macroscopic fouling species. This chapter reviews Individual events of microfouling that have been used to construct models for biofilm formation. The spontaneous adsorption of organic molecules to the surface is the most rapid of the microfouling events. Adsorption of dissolved organic material is substratum independent, but the rate of adsorption and the chemical nature and orientation of the adsorbates may vary with physiochemical surface properties. The nature of secondary colonizers is strongly influenced by presence or absence of light. Experiments conducted with water from the Gulf of Mexico monitored biofilm formation, composition, and interfacial chemistry as a function of light level. Most Information published about biofilm thickness, distribution, and microbial constituents has been deduced from traditional scanning electron microscopy. The presence of marine biofilms on all engineering surfaces is predictable. Rate of biofilm formation and microbial constituents within the biofilm can also be anticipated.