Fitridge and colleagues synthesised over a decade of published research on biofouling in cage aquaculture, cataloguing the principal fouling taxa — hydroids, barnacles, mussels, algae, and tunicates — and assessing how each group affects infrastructure integrity, water flow through net meshes, and fish health. The review drew on field data from Nordic, Atlantic, and Mediterranean farm sites, offering one of the first cross-regional comparisons of fouling pressure and species composition.
The authors evaluated the full spectrum of control strategies, from copper-based antifouling coatings and foul-release silicones to mechanical cleaning, biological control with cleaner fish, and husbandry practices such as net rotation and air-drying. Each method was assessed for efficacy, cost, and environmental acceptability. The analysis highlighted that no single approach provides universal protection — integrated management combining two or more methods yields the most consistent results across different farming contexts.
For practitioners seeking to match anti-fouling strategies to local conditions, the solutions comparison tool provides side-by-side evaluation of all methods discussed in this review. The fouling organisms database can help identify which taxa dominate at a given site, and the biofouling cost calculator offers a framework for quantifying the economic benefits of integrated management.