Bio-inspired Marine Biofouling-control Coatings Navy SBIR FY2011.2 Sol No.: Navy SBIR FY2011.2 Topic No.: N112-166 Topic Title: Bio-inspired Marine Biofouling-control Coatings Proposal No.: N112-166-0177 Firm: TIAX LLC 35 Hartwell Avenue Lexington, Massachusetts 02421-3102 Contact: Brad Pindzola Phone: (781) 879-1230 Web Site: http://www.TIAXLLC.com Abstract: Undeterred, marine organisms foul ship hulls, decreasing speed and maneuverability while increasing fuel use. New advances in the understanding of the adhesion mechanisms of macrofouling organisms like barnacles and mussels, offer the potential to design improved anti-fouling coatings that specifically target these mechanisms and avoid the general toxicity of traditional tin and copper/biocide coatings that have led to significant environmental damage. TIAX proposes to demonstrate the feasibility of an anti-fouling coating technology to deter the settlement and adhesion of macrofouling organisms to marine surfaces. Benefits: Marine biofouling, the formation of biological communities of micro and macro organisms on submerged surfaces, results in significant drag on ship hulls and causes reduced speed and maneuverability, increased need for and frequency of maintenance, and energy penalties of up to 86%. Mitigation of these problems has driven a global anti-fouling industry worth over $4 billion a year. Increasingly stringent environmental regulations, however, have required the abandonment of the effective tributyl tin based coatings and will likely require a move away from even the less effective copper/biocide based coatings. New anti-fouling strategies are required to protect ships, reducing operation and maintenance costs, and to limit the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Return