Barnacle Settlement Behaviors on Microstructured Surfaces with Different Geometric Parameters

Abstract

Marine sessile organisms easily adhere to submerged surfaces (e.g., rocks, metals and plastics), and cause serious economic problem. Previously, tributyltin (TBT) has been used widely as antifoulant to inhibit the fouling by sessile organisms. However, TBT was banned to use globally due to its high endocrine disruption effects against marine organisms. Recently, antifouling activities of microstructured surfaces against marine sessile organisms have attracted attention. In this study, we prepared honeycomb patterned microstructured surfaces with different geometric parameters, and investigated the relationship between barnacle settlement and geometric parameters of microstructured surfaces. The results found the number of settled barnacles increased with the increasing of roughness factor of the microstructured surfaces with shallow pits. However, the number of settled barnacles was few without dependence of roughness factor of the microstructured surfaces with deep pits.