Overview of fouling, particularly mussel fouling (but also barnacles, hydroids, sponges, and algae), on platforms in the North Sea including the relationship between water depth and fouling communities.
From Summary and Conclusions: “1. High standing stock and density of fouling on submerged oil platform structures offer feeding grounds for grazing fishes. Therefore, the oil platforms play a comparable ecological role with artificial reefs. 2.
Conclusions: “By virtue of the fouling community, platform artificial reefs do contribute to the overall biomass and ecological productivity of the northwestern Gulf of Mexico.
