A type of coating or paint applied to ship bottoms to prevent barnacles, algae, and other sea creatures from sticking and slowing the ship down.
From anti- (against) + fouling (accumulation of unwanted organisms), became a major maritime innovation in the 19th-20th centuries.
Antifouling paints historically used poisonous tin compounds—so effective they actually harmed ocean ecosystems, leading scientists to develop safer alternatives while keeping ships speedy.
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