#Fouling means that #sessileanimals as #crustaceans or #mussels attach themselves to non-living #underwatersurfaces as #shiphulls. According to Capt. Raghu Sharma (2026), this particularly affects ships beyond the #StraitofHormuz due to #warmwaters and #highsalinity. It increases #hydrodynamicdrag leading to higher #fuelconsumption (M. Tadros et al. 2022).
©#StefanFWirth

References
https://thedeepdraft.com/2026/06/08/the-barnacle-problem-waiting-behind-hormuz/

https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse10121891

https://ecoevo.social/@AquaClaire/116734274878226843

Illustrations
©S.F. Wirth, AI-assisted