Development of friendly antifouling coatings from marine algae

After the ban of TBT-based products, marine paint companies are urged to find an appropriate substitute to prevent biofouling on ship hulls. Biocides commonly used in antifouling paints to replace TBT have caused many doubts about their environmental effects. An alternative is offered by the development of antifouling coatings in which the active ingredients are compounds naturally occurring in marine organisms. Many recent studies confirm a potential for novel active ingredients in antifouling preparations from crude extracts of marine algae.