Overview
Biofouling or biological fouling is a phenomenon affecting human-made objects in the presence of water, wherein microorganisms, plants, algae, or small animals accumulate on the objects' surfaces and impede their functionality. Such accumulation is referred to as epibiosis when the host surface is another organism and the relationship is not parasitic. Since biofouling can occur almost anywhere water is present, it poses risks to a wide variety of objects, such as watercraft hulls and equipment, medical devices and membranes, as well as to entire industries, such as paper manufacturing, food processing, underwater construction, and desalination plants.