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Biofouling Services

 

Providing over 30 years’ international research experience in marine bacteria, biofilms, plankton

ecology and seawater quality. PML Applications provides an unrivalled capability to conduct

credible, objective and impartial scientific assessments of marine fouling technologies.

 

As a world leader in many of these research areas, PML Applications works with marine based

industries to tackle biofouling issues, assess and accelerate development of antifouling

technologies.

 

PML Applications will:

- Work with developers, manufacturers and end-users of antifouling technology worldwide

- Test antifouling coating efficacy using static and dynamic tests

- Provide year-round test facilities using cultured and in-situ species

- Provide year-round access to field test facilities

- Assist with novel coating development and reduce development time

- Provide culture facilities for micro- and macro-fouling organisms

- Predict the fate of leached substances in the environment

- Conduct expert identification and fouling assessment

- Provide expert witness advice

 

Providing solutions

Immerse any surface in the sea and the fouling process will start immediately. Biofouling creates engineering and environmental challenges with significant maintenance, H&S and economic costs. Biofouling is influenced by surface micro-texture, temperature, light, nutrients, depth, season and geography. The selection of antifouling treatments

must therefore be specific to the use. Improving the predictability of fouling will improve asset management, operational performance and reduce costs.

 

PML Applications helps clients to achieve increased efficiency, H&S performance and reduced operational downtime through optimal use of antifouling products. In addition to coatings manufacturers, clients include niche antifouling

users in the shipping, renewable energy sector, aquaculture, geophysical contractors and oil and gas industries.

 

In addition, PML Applications works with a range of clients from small businesses to major companies to improve the efficacy of antifouling technologies. Our understanding of the marine environment, settlement ecology and global oceanography is channelled to produce novel testing and assessment concepts for tomorrow’s coatings.

 

Recent projects include

Oil & gas industry - Biofouling is most frequently associated with unwanted biological growth on ship hulls, yet many other industries experience problems resulting from excessive organic growth on equipment deployed in marine environments. PML Applications has partnered with a world leading oilfield services company to investigate biofouling

problems on hydrophones used during oil and gas exploration.

 

Marine energy - Biofouling can reduce marine turbine efficiency by anything up to 40 per cent as a result of extra loads or blockages caused by encrusting marine organisms. PML is currently partnered with a major tidal turbine manufacturer

to develop best practice for controlling biofouling on marine energy devices.

 

Expert witness - PML Applications has provided impartial advice in litigation cases on the identification, likely geographic origin, and an estimate of age of component species in macrofouling samples removed from ships hulls. The overall  aim of this work was to establish when and where the fouling specimens first encountered the ship hull and how long they have been in position.