Jake, have you heard anything about a non-fouling film the Navy is using? The blurb I heard was that it has a textured surface, at the micro level, that prevents barnacles and the like from attaching.
Yeah - but it has less to do with a coating that's efficient through the water than providing a long lasting barrier coat that will keep marine growth from growing and causing a lot of parasitic drag (pun). Traditional bottom paints can be harmful to the environment in large quantities and because they are sacrificial by design, they have to be recoated periodically - not a good option with something the size of a battleship.
