Observations on Estuarine Microfouling Using the Scanning Electron Microscope

Scanning electron microscopy was used to observe microbiological primary fouling of glass surfaces exposed in estuarine waters. Observations on clean glass, and glass treated with water-repellent coatings, showed that bacterial slimes adhered less strongly to the water-repellent glass. An experiment using pure cultures of bacteria and latex particles showed that attached bacteria promoted the settlement of latex particles on the glass.