Antifouling in Marine Aquaculture: Mechanisms, Strategies, and Sustainable Design Guidelines

Abstract

Antifouling remains a critical constraint on the expansion of marine aquaculture, yet existing knowledge is fragmented across materials science, hydrodynamics, ecology, and farm economics. This review synthesizes mechanistic understanding of marine biofouling and corrosion on aquaculture infrastructure through a structured literature review of more than 200 primary studies and reviews spanning materials science, hydrodynamics, ecology, environmental assessment, operational management, and system‐level antifouling design. Major strategy classes, including biocidal self‐polishing coatings, copper‐alloy meshes, foul‐release silicones, hydrophilic, zwitterionic, amphiphilic, photocatalytic, nanocomposite, and biomimetic systems, are evaluated alongside non‐coating operational measures such as robotic cleaning and hyperspectral monitoring. By comparing their performance, environmental profiles, and implementation constraints, the review translates current evidence into system‐level design guidance for marine aquaculture. Findings highlight the multiscale nature of biofouling impacts on drag, dissolved oxygen, structural integrity, and ecosystem responses, and show that no single technology dominates across performance, environmental risk, and cost. The review provides integrated design and reporting checklists, a multi‐criteria decision workflow for selecting coatings and structures, and an environmental risk matrix for major strategy types. A forward‐looking roadmap outlines priorities for adaptive multifunctional materials, farm‐scale modeling, and coordinated governance, providing a mechanism‐informed, system‐level foundation for antifouling in marine aquaculture.