Lakselaget DC

The costs of biofouling to seafaring countries and businesses is significant. For example, loss of fuel efficiency and maintenance is estimated at the billion dollar level for the US Navy’s Arleigh Burke class of destroyers over their lifetime. In this presentation, Kathryn will review the history of fouling prevention, and our understanding of the most pernicious hard fouler, the barnacle, over the past two centuries. Dr. Wahl is the Acting Branch Head of the Surface Chemistry Branch, Chemistry Division at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory. She has a B.A. in Physics and Mathematics from St. Olaf College, Northfield MN and a Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from Northwestern University, Evanston IL. She works in the areas of barnacle biofouling, as well as friction, wear and corrosion processes at scales ranging from laboratory to full scale ship systems.