Biofouling refers to the accumulation of microorganisms, plants, algae, and animals on submerged surfaces, particularly in aquatic environments. In the context of ships, biofouling occurs when these organisms adhere to the hull and other submerged structures, forming a layer of marine growth.
Funding obtained
After obtaining a small funding from the Australia-Indonesia Centre (AIC) in 2014, to get to know each other and seek the potential of joint research, Prof. I Ketut Aria Pria Utama from ITS and Prof Jason Monty together with Prof Nick Hutchins from Melbourne University decided to continue the collaboration.
Experiments
The research required a ship for experimentation, and PT. Dharma Lautan Utama, a company owned by an ITS alumnus, generously provided one. During the experiments, the ship’s bottom part was replaced with glass and subjected to laser scans to examine the growth of the boundary layer.
Additional funding
However, due to the Newton Fund’s one-time funding policy for research on the same topic, Prof. Hutchins as the team leader has seeked further support and finally secured additional funding from the Australian Research Council, covering the period from 2021 to 2025.
The research is still progressing, the team is preparing to publish the work to high-ranked journals such as Nature and Physics of Fluid, and other flagship conferences.
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Source : qs.gen
