Cleaning by beaching: introducing a new alternative for hull biofouling management in Argentina

BATTINI, NICOLÁS; GIACHETTI, CLARA; SCHWINDT, EVANGELINA; CASTRO, KAREN; BORTOLUS, ALEJANDRO

Aquatic Invasions

Regional Euro-Asian Biological Invasions Centre

Lugar: Helsinki; Año: 2020 vol. 15 p. 63 - 80

1798-6540

Recreational vessels favor the secondary spread of exotic marine species hosted onhull biofouling communities through coastal trips. Hull biofouling is also a problemfor vessel owners because it reduces the efficiency and maneuverability of thevessel. This study documents a pioneer case of alternative hull biofouling managementin a context where local regulations prohibit in-water cleaning operations and wherethere are no shore-based facilities. We designed and put into practice a method tomanually clean a 35 meter long catamaran, by beaching it in a macrotidal beach ofPatagonia, Argentina. During the cleaning, all hull biofouling was removed andcollected to prevent organisms from falling on the beach. A total of 12.5 m3 ofbiofouling was deposited in landfill following regulations for fishing discardmaterial. In addition, qualitative and quantitative fouling samples were obtainedfrom different hull locations of the vessel, including niche areas. A total of 53distinct taxa were identified, including 18 exotic species for Argentina, 7 of whichhad not been previously reported for the study area. Cleaning by beaching can beused as a convenient biosecurity method to remove hull biofouling from small andmedium size vessels when other methods or facilities on the coast are not available.Our results also provide further evidence for the potential risk of recreationalvessels as vectors for the secondary spread of marine exotic species.