A review of marine macrofouling communities with special reference to animal fouling

From the initial adsorption of macromolecules to the development of complex and diverse plant and animal communities, marine fouling affects most solid surfaces permanently or temporarily immersed in the sea. Invertebrate larvae and macroalgal spores often demonstrate remarkable powers of selectivity before committing themselves to life as sessile individuals. Several environmental and substratum‐related factors, especially surface biochemistry, play vital roles in inducing settlement and metamorphosis. Once established, recruitment of juveniles to the community, relies on their ability to resist prédation from motile animals as well as competition from neighbouring forms. Various strategies have evolved to ensure that individuals or colonies develop sufficiently to reach maturity and reproduce. The use of settlement plates as experimental tools in the study of fouling organisms has contributed significantly to our understanding of species “succession”; and community “stability”;. In attempting to investigate these properties, careful consideration must be given to the time scale over which such studies are undertaken, particularly in relation to the life‐spans of the component organisms.