Times have changed for fouling control and boaters are wondering where to turn! IPM for Boats can help boaters solve problems of water quality and invasive species. It’s a framework for tailoring fouling control to the individual boat. IPM (Integrated Pest Management) takes into account how often the boat is used, whether it operates locally or long distance, environmental conditions (and regulations that apply) in the harbor and the slip where the boat is kept, whether particularly troublesome fouling species are present, changing conditions, and so forth.
IPM has been used successfully for years to control pests in agriculture and buildings. The goal is to reduce toxic chemicals to the minimum that is necessary in combination with other tactics. The overall strategy combines a variety of tactics (timing the tactics themselves, controlling pest sources, mechanical, chemical, etc.) with record-keeping. Good records help the boat owner follow which tactics worked, when they worked, etc. and decide what to keep and what to change. With this “adaptive” approach, the fouling control strategy should improve over time and also keep up with changing conditions.
Our new report, “IPM for Boats: Integrated Pest Management for Hull Fouling Control in Southern California Coastal Marinas,” explains the IPM approach and the supporting research that we conducted in San Diego Bay and Santa Barbara Harbor of southern California. A photo-guide to 7 particularly pesky “Hull Fouling Species of Concern” is included, too. Although the report focuses on boats kept in saltwater in this region, the IPM approach can be adapted to other regions and even to freshwater.
It’s available from our Coastal Resources Program website at http://ucanr.org/sites/coast Click on the Publications Page in the top navigation.
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