All test plates remained in place in the static unit for the 17-day voyage, experiencing all the events of the ballast tank walls. In situ identification of bacterial species in marine microfouling films using immunofluorescence technique. Appl. and Environ. Test plates from static unit retained a diverse population of protists. Populations in biofilms on the methylsilicone polymer coatings were much less diverse.
Least biodiversity is observed on methylsilicone coatings.
The population distribution on methylsilicone coatings is different from that on other substrata. Biofilms included bacteria and protists of many different species, and biodiversity was different on different test substrata. Methylsilicone polymeric coatings supported the least diverse biofilms. These results indicate that, by coating ballast tanks with nontoxic, corrosion-resistant methylsilicones, transferrable biodiversity can be controlled. In this voyage, ballast water was released and taken on several times.