Biofouling
February 02, 2023
Photographer: Mila Zinkova
Summary Author: Mila Zinkova
Biofouling is an accumulation of marine organisms found on the underwater parts of vessels, docks, etc. (top photo shows biofouling on a shipwrecked hull). On occasion, they can be dangerous to the environment. For example, on January 1, 2023, a cruise ship was refused permission to dock in Australian ports because it carried a deleterious fungus on its hull.
At about the same time, a small shipwreck was washed out at Ocean Beach in San Francisco. It was almost completely covered by biofouling, which included a sea anemone, sponges, algae and barnacles. The barnacles were still alive since they're able to survive for many years without water, as you can see from this video (made of the shipwreck). If you look closely, you can them popping out of their shells (bottom photo, at top center).
Ocean Beach, California Coordinates: 32.7495, -117.2470
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