| Summary: | This paper presents a method to collect intact biofouling samples from vessels. Magnetic settlement plates (MAGPLATEs) will be attached to ship hulls. In this study, MAGPLATEs will be used to obtain intact biofilm samples, grown and subjected to hydrodynamic conditions similar to those at control patches on the hull. To collect representative samples of fouling in the North Atlantic waters, settlement plates will be deployed on ships with routes in the North Sea. At the end of the sampling period, plates will be analysed regarding composition, topography and drag & boundary layer properties. Future applications of MAGPLATEs are also discussed.
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