ABSTRACT
Chemical treatments are ineffective because mussels and other shellfish adhere very strongly to all types of surfaces, both hydrophilic and hydrophobic, and are able to resist storms. In addition, mechanical deformations of surfaces generated by stretching and inducing wrinkles have made it possible to assemble new structures and understand important physical phenomena. More generally, we will describe how plants and animals manage to generate antifouling surfaces. Most plants originating from marine life are equipped with a membrane that protects them against the hostile external environment and first and foremost allows them to fight against desiccation out of the water. The super hydrophobic behavior provides the leaves of some plants with self-cleaning properties against particles larger than the spacing between studs, which are carried away by water flowing on the surface of the leaf. The variable structures of the cuticle have several purposes: control of water supply, wetting properties, etc.
