•1 min read•from Frontiers in Marine Science | New and Recent Articles
The Trojan seahorse: neglecting biofouling management of vessel niche areas
Our take
The Trojan seahorse highlights the critical need for effective biofouling management in vessel niche areas. Biofouling adversely affects vessel operations and increases greenhouse gas emissions, while also threatening marine ecosystems and cultural values through the introduction of non-indigenous species. Although regulations from the International Maritime Organization promote in-water cleaning, efforts currently focus on vessel hulls, neglecting the significant biosecurity risks posed by niche areas.
Biofouling has detrimental impacts on vessel operations, greenhouse gas emissions, and marine environmental, economic, social, and cultural values through the spread of non-indigenous species. The biosecurity impacts of vessel biofouling have led to regulations across multiple jurisdictions and a global push for mandatory requirements through the International Maritime Organization. In-water cleaning to remove or prevent macrofouling may represent a rare win-win solution for both the shipping industry and the environment. However, at present, the focus is primarily limited to the planar surfaces of vessel hulls, which have the largest direct impact on ship efficiency. Given the substantial contribution of niche areas to vessel biosecurity risk, and their importance to ship operations in general, further emphasis on biofouling prevention and reactive management of these areas is required.
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