Marine Biology

Factors affecting the distribution of fouling organisms

     Several physico- chemical factors are known to influence the settlement of fouling organisms . The important factors include the formation of primary film, temperature and light availability  in the water column, level of tides, salinity, nature of surface of the substratum , firmness of the substratum , colour of the substratum and level of pollution of the environment.

The formation of the primary film  is an essential pre requisite for many foulers since the settlement of the larvae of these requires chiefly of diatoms and algal spores with a relatively small proportion of bacteria. The thin filaments of algae may afford foothold on the substratum for the larvae. Further, the algae and diatoms probably serve as the food of these larvae.

Temperature: Temperature is an important factor for the distribution of fouling communities. The intensity of fouling is more in the tropical seas than in the polar and subpolar regions. In the tropics the breeding of fouling organisms are taking place throughout the year and the settlement of larvae of foulers is a continuous process.