Antifouling alternatives for aquaculture in tropical waters of the Atlantic Ocean

Biofouling is one of the biggest challenges for mariculture in tropical waters. This study aims to evaluate different materials in control to biofouling in tropical waters through two experiments. For Experiment I, compared the accumulation of biofouling on different nylon panels and the use of antifouling (copper-base) paint that remained submerged for 8 weeks. In experiment II, evaluated multifilament nylon, monofilament nylon and copper alloy metal with and without the use of zinc anode. The experiment were carried for 150 days, in summer with water temperature of 26 °C. Significant biomass of biofouling was observed on nylon meshs, and those of monofilaments presented a lesser amount of diversity of organisms compared to the multifilament. The multifilament mesh painted with copper-based paint proved to be efficient in controlling biofouling. The copper alloy metal was maintained without the accumulation of biofouling throughout the experimental period (150 days). No differences were observed for copper alloy metal with or without a zinc anode. Copper alloy metal was effective as an antifouling agent even in a tropical waters. This data can open the way for a new system of fish farming in tropical seas using copper alloy metal for the construction of net cages.