Abstract
Ultraviolet light (UV) is currently under investigation as an environmentally friendly alternative for antifouling prevention in the marine environment. A novel apparatus based on a Nautilus shell was designed, to test UV exposure on multiple surfaces with varying distances from a lamp source. Several proof of concept tests were conducted in-situ to determine if the Nautilus design would indeed be an effective method for studying UV in the marine environment. Specifically, the in-situ tests studied the effect of UVC (λ = 254 nm) exposure (continuous and one minute per day) on biofouling settlement at distances ranging from 25 mm to 275 mm. Continuous UV exposure resulted in minimal (≤5% total coverage) settlement, which consisted of biofilms. UV exposure of one minute per day had a greater biofouling settlement with trends observed in the community composition related to distance from the lamp. The coverage of soft fouling organisms decreased with increased distance from the lamp; meanwhile, hard fouling abundance increased with increasing distance. In order to investigate how UV impacts already established fouling, continuous exposure was then applied to a fully developed biofouling community. This resulted in a decrease in total fouling coverage across all distances and live barnacles were only present on surfaces at distances ≥200 mm from the lamp. Overall, the Nautilus design presented a viable option for studying UV in the marine environment and allowing for the identification of UV tolerances within fouling communities.
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Published Version
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