The effect of temperature on the settlement response of marine fouling organisms to antifouling chemicals.

The significant global economic and ecological damage caused by marine fouling organisms has heightened the need for efficient biofouling control. This necessitates research into how fouling organisms respond to antifouling methods under the influence of environmental factors. Although numerous studies have examined the effect of temperature on the settlement of biofoulers, little is known about how temperature influences the efficacy of antifoulants in preventing settlement. In this study, we evaluated the effect of temperature on the larval settlement response of the barnacle Balanus albicostatus and the mussel Mytilopsis sallei to four antifouling compounds: copper(II), tralopyril, camptothecin, and odoroside A. Our results showed that in the absence of antifouling compounds, low temperature (15 °C) inhibited B. albicostatus settlement, and the settlement rates of M. sallei at 15 and 20 °C were significantly lower than those at 25 and 30 °C, indicating a preference for settlement under warmer conditions. In the presence of antifouling compounds, settlement rates of both B. albicostatus and M. sallei decreased as temperature increased from 20 to 30 °C. This suggests that the antifouling efficacy of these four compounds-whether heavy metal or organic-was enhanced at higher temperatures. Our findings demonstrate temperature-dependent susceptibility to antifoulants in these fouling species, providing insights for the development of effective biofouling control strategies for marine submerged artificial structures across different latitudes and seasons worldwide.