ClimateAugust 12, 2026

biofouling

BY-oh-fow-ling

Definition

The accumulation of unwanted marine organisms, such as algae, bacteria, and small animals, on the surfaces of submerged objects like ship hulls.

Etymology

The term is a combination of the Greek-derived prefix 'bio-' (meaning life) and the Germanic-derived verb 'foul' (to make dirty or clog), emerging in the 20th century to describe the biological contamination of underwater surfaces.

In the news

Biofouling is identified as a critical environmental issue for SAAM's towage operations, prompting the company to implement special coatings and robotic cleaning as part of its new Biodiversity Plan.

SAAM Presents Biodiversity Plan Focused on Marine Ecosystem Conservation

Read the full article ↗

Marine News Magazine

Related words

bentonite

A highly absorbent, clay-like material that expands when wet, used in this context to…

Climate

geoexchange

A heating and cooling system that utilizes the stable temperatures of the earth to store…

Climate

bragawatts

A colloquial, often skeptical term referring to unverified or speculative gigawatt-scale…

Climate

braggawatts

A colloquial, often skeptical term referring to announced energy project capacities that…

Climate

amylin

A peptide hormone co-secreted with insulin that helps regulate blood glucose levels,…

Climate

berobenatide

An experimental pharmaceutical compound, currently under clinical development by Pfizer,…

Climate

Learn a word like this every day

Meet one new word every morning.

Newspoken pulls one carefully chosen word from the day’s news — with a clear definition, context, and light review that makes it stick. Get it on your phone.