Sievers, Fitridge, Bui, and Dempster reviewed the particular biofouling challenges confronting shellfish aquaculture in Europe, where fouling organisms compete directly with the cultured product for food, space, and water flow. The review covered mussel longline and raft culture, intertidal and subtidal oyster farming, and scallop cultivation, documenting how tunicates, barnacles, bryozoans, and competitor bivalves reduce marketable yield and increase handling costs at every stage from spat collection through harvest.
The authors assessed management options including air-drying, freshwater immersion, manual scraping, heat treatment, and coating of grow-out equipment. They found that simple physical methods — particularly timed air exposure — remain the most cost-effective and environmentally benign approach for most shellfish operations, though optimal protocols vary with target fouler species and local climate. The review also identified emerging threats, including the spread of invasive tunicates into previously unaffected growing areas.
Shellfish growers will find practical guidance on matching treatments to fouling type in the solutions comparison tool. The organisms database provides identification guides for the key shellfish foulers, and the article on hard versus soft fouling explains why treatment efficacy depends on fouling category.