Marine biofouling arises from the undesirable accumulation of microorganisms
plants and marine animals on submerged surface. It has adverse effects on shipping and other marine associated activities. For example
biofouling can increase the hydrodynamic drag of ships
accelerate the corrosion of a metallic substrate
block the cooling cycle pipe
decrease the service life of marine equipment and affect aquaculture systems. Anti-biofouling is a worldwide problem due to the diversity of fouling organisms and complex marine environments. So far
the most effective approach for anti-biofouling is to use biocidal coatings containing tributyltin (TBT) formulations. However
they are detrimental to non-target organisms and the surrounding environment. It is urgent to develop environment-friendly marine anti-biofouling materials. In this paper
we review the recent progress in design and preparation of polymeric materials for marine anti-biofouling
particularly the biodegradable polymer based materials.