Abstract
Microbiologically induced corrosion occurs on the Ghent-Terneuzen canal. As a result, ships and other structures such as sheet piles, lock gates and jetties corrode. In addition to corrosion, biofouling also occurs.
The purpose of this research is to determine which organisms are responsible for this biofouling and where they are located, under the influence of the different properties of the water.
On the one hand, the research consists of collecting data using different racks, spread along the Ghent-Terneuzen canal, which are exposed to the water for a period of nine months. On the other hand, the steel plates are analyzed and coverage by the different organisms is shown in percentages in order to determine their abundance. The organisms identified along the canal are calcareous worms, brackish water mussels, hydroids, barnacles, seaweed and algae. Depending on the environmental parameters, their distribution varies across the Ghent-Terneuzen canal. The most important environmental parameters are salinity and temperature. These provide a clear division of the organisms, so the canal could be divided into three parts. In the southernmost part, around Ghent, only algae and seaweed were found. Further towards Terneuzen, a transition from the seaweed and algae to brackish water mussels becomes noticeable. Further north, a change from brackish water mussels to calcareous worms can be seen, and barnacles were also observed at the two sites on the Scheldt.