Microbial Biofouling and Microbially Influenced Corrosion -- Why Microorganisms Live in Biofilms and the Problem of Biofouling -- The Effect of Substratum Properties on the Survival of Attached Microorganisms on Inert Surfaces -- Mechanisms of Microbially Influenced Corrosion -- Industrial Biofilms and their Control -- Biofilm Control: Conventional and Alternative Approaches -- An Example: Biofouling Protection for Marine Environmental Sensors by Local Chlorination -- Surface Modification Approach to Control Biofouling -- A Strategy To Pursue in Selecting a Natural Antifoulant: A Perspective -- Novel Antifouling Coatings: A Multiconceptual Approach -- Concept and Consequences of the EU Biocide Guideline -- Macrofouling -- Hydroides elegans (Annelida: Polychaeta): A Model for Biofouling Research -- Marine Epibiosis: Concepts, Ecological Consequences and Host Defence -- Larval Settlement and Surfaces: Implications in Development of Antifouling Strategies -- Macrofouling Control in Power Plants -- Inhibition and Induction of Marine Biofouling by Biofilms -- A Triangle Model: Environmental Changes Affect Biofilms that Affect Larval Settlement.

Biofouling is a costly problem, and it is encountered in a wide spectrum of technical systems, ranging from the shipping industry, power industry, water purification, automobile industry, paint and pharmaceuticals, to the microelectronics and food industries. Micro- and macroorganisms attach to surfaces and accumulate there, forming biofilms that cause interferences – a fundamentally natural process. Usually, a medical paradigm is applied: kill biofilms and the problem is solved. This leads to excessive biocide use. However, the success of this strategy is very limited; furthermore it leads to equipment damage and environmental pollution. Simply trying to kill the fouling organisms is clearly not seen as a successful strategy while cleaning is put forward as much more important. In this book, strategies to prevent adhesion, to mitigate the extent and effects of biofouling, and to detect and remove fouling layers are presented. Holistic approaches to the fouling process are elaborated, taking into account options such as nutrient limitation, repellent and easy-to-clean surfaces for fouling layer limitation, and replacing biocides with more environmentally friendly methods – in other words: learning how to live with fouling biofilms without suffering the damage they can do.