Biotechnology-Based Biofouling Control Strategies for Sustainable Maritime Industry Operations

Abstract

Biofouling — the uncontrolled colonization of vessel hull surfaces by marine organisms — imposes severe economic and environmental costs on the global maritime industry, while conventional antifouling solutions reliant on biocidal compounds continue to generate toxic contamination of tropical coastal ecosystems. Indonesia's archipelagic maritime industry, embedded within one of the world's most biodiverse marine environments, confronts this double burden with particular urgency, as toxic antifouling leachates threaten the very tropical bioresource systems upon which coastal livelihoods and national food security depend. This study investigates the development, efficacy, and operational applicability of biotechnology-based biofouling control strategies derived from Indonesian tropical marine bioresources, evaluating natural antifouling compounds sourced from mangroves, marine microalgae, and coral-associated bacteria. Employing a mixed-methods design involving laboratory bioassay evaluations, field hull performance assessments across 24 domestic vessels, and expert consultations with 45 maritime industry, biotechnology, and agromaritime specialists, data were analyzed through thematic analysis, cross-group comparison, and narrative synthesis. Findings demonstrate that selected tropical bioresource-derived compounds — particularly those from mangrove endophytic fungi and marine microalgal extracts — exhibit strong antifouling bioactivity with significantly lower ecotoxicity profiles than conventional tributyltin and copper-based alternatives. The study proposes a Tropical Marine Antifouling Biotechnology (TMAB) framework, contributing evidence-based principles for the integration of agromaritime biotechnology into sustainable maritime operations and IMO biofouling management compliance in Indonesia and comparable tropical maritime nations.