Influence of substratum colour on the recruitment of macrofouling communities

Abstract

Settlement of the fouling community is generally influenced by the physical, chemical and biological properties of the settling surface. The colour of the substratum may also exert an influence on larval settlement. In the present study, the influence of surface colour on the recruitment of fouling communities was investigated by suspending acrylic panels (red, green, blue, white and yellow) in coastal waters. Results showed that the colour of the substratum plays an important role in the recruitment of sessile species. Recruitment was comparatively high on red and blue coloured surfaces. Barnacle and tubeworm recruitment showed significant variation (Tukey test, P<0.05) between different coloured surfaces. The significant conclusion of this study is that the colour of the artificial substrata should be taken into consideration when interpreting results from short-term biofouling studies. © 2010 Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom.