Hodson, Lewis, and Burke conducted one of the first documented field trials of silicone-based foul-release coatings applied to aquaculture net panels, deploying coated and uncoated control panels side by side at a temperate marine site over a six-month period. The silicone elastomer coating was a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) formulation that creates an ultra-smooth, low-surface-energy finish to which fouling organisms attach weakly and detach under water movement or light mechanical cleaning.
The trial results were striking: coated panels accumulated 60 to 80 percent less fouling biomass than uncoated nylon controls across all sampling intervals. The coating was most effective against soft-bodied foulers — hydroids, tunicates, and filamentous algae — which failed to maintain adhesion on the silicone surface under ambient current conditions. Hard foulers such as barnacles showed reduced settlement density on coated panels but, once established, were not spontaneously released. The authors noted that the coating maintained its foul-release properties throughout the trial period without degradation.
This pioneering work laid the groundwork for modern foul-release coatings now entering commercial aquaculture use. For a comparison of silicone coatings against competing technologies, see copper nets versus silicone coatings. The solutions comparison tool evaluates current foul-release products, and the cost calculator can help estimate the payback period for coating investment.