Communities of Fungi on Plates Coated with Antifouling Paint Modified by Nanoparticles

Fungal complexes have been studied on plexiglass plates coated with the Bioplast-52 antifouling enamel (control) or its modification with nanoparticles (NP) Zn-FeO, ZnO, and Fe-CuO in Sevastopol Bay (Black Sea) in autumn 2021. In total, 16 species of fungi from seven genera, five families, five orders, and three classes of the Ascomycota phylum have been identified. The species composition was dominated by representatives of the genera Aspergillus (seven species) and Alternaria (four species). The total number of fungal species isolated on substrates depends on the covering material and ranged from 3 (ZnO NP) to 8 (Bioplast-52 and Zn-FeO NP), as well as on the exposure time, from 3 (14th day) to 14 (61st day) species. No representatives of the genera Aspergillus or Alternaria have been found on the coating modified with Fe-CuO NP; only species of the genus Aspergillus have been found on the coating with ZnO NP. The smallest abundance and species richness of the fungi have been found on these coatings. Fe-CuO and ZnO nanoparticles enhanced the antifouling properties of Bioplast-52 enamel.