The COMPLETE database on Biofouling is the undesirable growth of underwater structures by microorganisms, plants, algae and animals. This applies in particular to ship hulls and niches management provides information on the status and opportunities for inwater cleaning (IWC) of commercial ships and leisure boats in the Baltic Sea Region. The database contains information on ports and marinas, their respective requirements and possibilities for IWC and the companies, which provide IWC service. The list of cleaning companies does not claim to be complete, but is updated regularly. Furthermore, you can find information on antifouling systems (AFS), the authorized substances and products by country. All information is provided without warranty. Errors and changes excepted.

Biofouling as well as inadequate treatment with biocide-containing antifouling systems (AFS) also of commercial ships and leisure boats may pose significant environmental and economic risks [Show more]

A holistic biofouling management covers the following aspects:

• Development of a ship-specific Biofouling Management Plan (BFMP) and keeping of a Biofouling Management Record Book (BFRB) [Show more]

  BFMP and BFRB

  A Biofouling Management Plan, specific for each ship, is a description of the ships biofouling management strategy. Some countries and regions (Australia, New Zealand, and California) implemented regulations, which require the submission of BFMPs prior to arrival. The requirements for a BFMP include a description of the vessels biofouling management strategy and should be consistent with the IMO Biofouling Guidelines. It includes a description of the practices and AFS (Antifouling System) used for hull and niche areas. Biofouling has to be managed using one or more practices that are appropriate for the ship and its operational profile as determined by the owner, operator, master, or person in charge of the ship. Management practices must be described in the BFMP and completed actions must be documented in the BFRB [Link].

  Actually, there are several templates for BFMP and BFRB at hand. All of them are under scrutiny and permanent discussion to validate their applicability and usefulness. The most popular template is that of the IMO Biofouling Guidelines (see Annex IMO template) which served as a base for other templates. The state of California has amended the BFMP and BFRB since January 2018 for all ships calling at Californian ports, and requires completing their template at least 24 hours prior to arrival. A similar procedure is in force for Australian and New Zealand ports [Link].

  The effectivity of biofouling management increases with the synchronization of ship, its performance, and operation with the respective biofouling management. BFMP and BFRB must be tailor-made to operate in an economic, efficient, and environmentally friendly way Therefore, it is recommended to test the effectivity of the BFMP by performance monitoring and in-water inspection (IWI), especially if travel routes change and speed or idle periods differ from the considerations made during the development of the original plan. In this context, precise keeping of the BFRB is essential, because this is the only possibility to check the effectivity of management retrospectively. [Close]

• Choice of an adequate, ship- and operation-specific Antifouling System (AFS) [Show more]

  AFS

  As already mentioned above, fouling development is strongly favoured by a discrepancy between selected AFS and the predicted operation profile of the ship. Deviations from this profile with respect to service speed, activity level, days at harbour or idle periods, as well as traded waters favour the development of fouling. The consequence is reduced antifouling performance. On the other hand, there is the risk of significant unnecessary input of biocides and other hazardous substances to the marine environment, if AFS are chosen which contain higher concentrations of active substances than needed for an effective biofouling management.

  All commercial vessels entering and leaving the Baltic Sea, and those operating in the Baltic Sea must select AFS compliant with the IMO AFS-Convention, meaning that the active AFS must not contain organotin compounds, and, from October 2026 on, cybutryn [Link].

  Ships operating exclusively in the Baltic Sea may use AFS with moderate biocide content (max 20% of copper) and moderate leaching rates with a maximum of 10 µg/cm^²/day. Of course, the choice of AFS is dependent on the operation profile of the ships, taking into account activity level, service speed and traded areas.

  Ships with high activity level and average speed of > 10 knots may also use biocide-free hard coatings in combination with IWCin-water cleaning , or biocide-free foul release coatings (FRC). FRC are a viable non-biocidal alternative to the above mentioned conventional biocidal antifouling coatings for the use in the Baltic Sea. These coatings rely on surface properties to mechanically preventing fouling, preferably by extruding non-persistent silicone oils, by degrada-ble waxes, or polyethylene glycols to its surface, thus reducing both settlement and adhesion strength of biofouling.

  Table AFS according to operational profile

  Table AFS according to operational profile [Close]

  Region	Ship activity level	Coating recommendation	Cleaning strategy
  Western and Southern Baltic Sea	High	Biocide-free SPC for high activity level Non-toxic hard coating in combination with cleaning FRC except operation in wintertime	Proactive grooming in the biofilm stage
  Western and Southern Baltic Sea	Moderate	Biocide-free SPC for moderate activity level Non-toxic hard coating in combination with cleaning	Proactive grooming in the biofilm stage
  Western and Southern Baltic Sea	Low	Biocide-free SPC for low activity level FRC in combination with cleaning (not for operation in wintertime)	Regular cleaning on FRC
  Kattegat to Central Baltic Sea	High	Biocide-free SPC for high activity level Non-toxic hard coating in combination with cleaning FRC except operation in wintertime	Proactive grooming in the biofilm stage
  Kattegat to Central Baltic Sea	Moderate	Biocide-free SPC for moderate activity level Non-toxic hard coating in combination with cleaning FRC in combination with cleaning (not for operation in wintertime)	Grooming, weekly grooming in the fouling season
  Kattegat to Central Baltic Sea	Low	Biocide-free SPC for low activity level Non-toxic hard coating in combination with cleaning FRC in combination with cleaning (not for operation in wintertime)	Grooming, weekly grooming in the fouling season
  Eastern and Northern part of the Baltic Sea	High, moderate and low	Non-toxic hard coating in combination with cleaning FRC except operation in wintertime	Grooming, weekly grooming in the fouling season

  Table Overview of biocide-free coatings for ships in the Baltic Sea

  Table Overview of biocide-free coatings for ships in the Baltic Sea [Close]

  Coating	Techniques	Application	Benefits	Risks	Costs	Availability
  Hard coatings in combination with IWC	Epoxy-silicone hybrids, abrasion resistant with foul release properties	Hull and cleanable niches	Long service life, durable, negligible input of paint flakes	Must be cleaned pro-actively in biofilm stage	Comparable to current antifouling paints	Several products on the market
  FRCs, cleanable	Silicone based rubber-like polymers	Hull and cleanable niches	Long service life, durable, negligible input of paint flakes	Must be protected from mechanical impact, not suitable for ice conditions	Double price compared to current antifouling paints	Several products on the market
  Biocide-free SPCs	Hydrolyzing polymer backbone and additives	Hull, exposed to water flow, not for niches	Smooth hull without release of biocides	Efficacy strongly depends on activity level and service speed. Continuous input of polymeric backbone	Comparable to current antifouling paints	Several products on the market tailored for different vessel types

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• Performance monitoring [Show more]

  A powerful tool for biofouling management is the use of onboard performance systems, which deliver data on increased drag or increased fuel consumption at a given speed. Several shipping lines use their own performance systems and a couple of those are available on the market. The main data base consists of collecting and transmitting data on speed, fuel consumption, winds and currents to calculate the performance and get information on additional friction. The general principles and performance indicators are applicable to all ship types driven by conventional fixed pitch propellers. Data of increased friction can be used for biofouling management purposes and for the decision of the right time for inspections and reactive cleaning. [Close]

• In-water inspections (IWI) and maintenance, e.g. in-water cleaning (IWC) [Show more]

  As no AFS can totally avoid biofouling, proactive or reactive IWC is a commonly applied component of biofouling management. In order to perform IWC in a sustainable manner, use of non-abrasive cleaning techniques, as well as capture and filtration of removed fouling in combination with waste disposal on land is crucial. Currently, the majority of cleaning is performed on biocidal antifouling paints, which are present on approx. 95% of commercial ships and leisure boats. Biocidal antifouling paints are not designed for cleaning. They are too soft and the impact of cleaning removes, beside the attached fouling organisms, approx. 20-30 µm of the upper paint layers. During cleaning, immediately undissolved paint particles and dissolved along with undissolved biocides are released into the water. This has multiple additional implications:

  • Mechanical removal of existing paint layers reduces the service life of the AFS and thereby the docking interval
  • The impact of cleaning tools depends on the amount, composition and adherence of the fouling. The heavier fouling is, the higher the effort necessary to remove it. If the AFS is completely removed or damaged, these hull areas are prone to new settlements.
  • Macrofouling communities contain propagules of algae and barnacles which are hard to capture 100%. Viable spores and larvae might invade ports and coastal areas.

  To avoid these problems, various countries and maritime organisations are working on standards and the development of best environmental practice for IWC. Precautionary assessment of the environmental risk of each IWC activity is essential as basis for granting permissions for IWC.

  IWC on biocidal antifouling paints should best be performed by:

  • Pre- and post-cleaning inspections
  • To avoid damage of the AFS, a reference area on the hull should be selected to test the cleaning tools with respect to efficacy, collection and measurement of undissolved paint particles and dissolved/undissolved paint biocides.
  • IWC should only be applied on fouling communities in height not larger than 10 mm, and not extending to more than 5% of the hull and niches. This means ideally to clean at the biofilm stage.
  • More extensively developed fouling should be cleaned in dry dock.
  • Capture of the removed fouling organisms should be mandatory and treatment by filtration shall use mesh sizes of at least 10 µm which is technically feasible.
  • Reliable and validated reports on cleaning test on reference areas including measurement results of accredited laboratories as well as pre- and post-inspections of the hull and niches shall be submitted to the operator

  Table Overview of IWC methods for ships

  Table Overview of IWC methods for ships [Close]

  Method	Techniques	Application	Benefit	Risk	Costs	Availability
  Diver operated cleaning device	Rotating brushes, high pressure-jetting, blades - with external capture and filtration	Hull and niches if accessible	Effective, control of cleaning effort, access to most niches, optical control	Application only in ports or sheltered waters without waves, currents, and turbidity	high	Baltic Sea ports depending on permits
  ROVs	Rotating brushes, high pressure-jetting, with internal capture by filtrating bags	Hull	Effective, control of cleaning effort, optical control	Application only in ports or sheltered waters with-out waves and currents. Control of bag capacity limit needed.	low	Baltic Sea ports depending on permits
  Ship-based ROVs	Rotating brushes and hydro-jetting	Hull	Effective, control of cleaning effort, optical control	Exclusively applicable on biofilms, no capture of organisms and paint particles	high	Everywhere when laying idle in calm waters depending on permits

  If IWC is combined with capture and filtration systems, removed fouling organisms and paint particles are waste which has to be disposed on land. Furthermore, it has to be taken into account that dissolved biocides are not retained and thus, released into the harbour basin during cleaning.

  The best environmental management practice is the cleaning on abrasion resistant, non-biocidal hard coatings in combination with capture and filtration of the cleaned material and subsequent waste treatment and disposal.

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• Dry docking, e.g. renewal of AFS

COMPLETE addresses two major sources of harmful organisms introduction by shipping: ballast water and biofouling. The project tackles several gaps in current knowledge and management. COMPLETE works towards minimising the introduction of harmful aquatic organisms and pathogens by developing a consistent and adaptive management system for the Baltic Sea region. COMPLETE is funded by the Interreg Baltic Sea Region Programme [Link]

The Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH) is a higher federal authority within the portfolio of the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI). It is the public institution for maritime tasks. This concerns among others tasks such as averting dangers at sea, issuing official nautical charts and surveying tasks in the North Sea and Baltic Sea, as well as forecasting tides, water levels and storm surges.

Within the scope of our legal mandate, we concentrate on safety and environmental protection and represent German interests in Europe and internationally [Link].

IMO - the International Maritime Organization - is the United Nations specialized, global standard-setting authority for the safety, security and environmental performance of international shipping. Its main role is to create a regulatory framework for the shipping industry that is fair and effective, universally adopted and universally implemented [Link].

The Guidelines for the control and management of ships' biofouling to minimize the transfer of invasive aquatic species (Biofouling Guidelines) (resolution MEPC.207(62)) are intended to provide a globally consistent approach to the management of biofouling [Link]

The Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission - also known as the Helsinki Commission (HELCOM) - is an intergovernmental organization and a regional sea convention in the Baltic Sea area. As a platform for environmental policy making at the regional level, HELCOM was established to protect the marine environment of the Baltic Sea from all sources of pollution through intergovernmental cooperation [Link]

The GloFouling Project drives actions to implement the IMO Guidelines for the control and management of ships' biofouling, which provide a globally consistent approach on how biofouling should be controlled and managed to minimise the transfer of invasive aquatic species through ships' hulls. The project will also spur the development of best practices and standards for improved biofouling management in other ocean industries [Link].