On December 3, 2025, the IOW received the patent for a novel, UV light-based antifouling system. The newly patented technology provides permanent and environmentally safe protection for sensitive underwater sensors against biological fouling, thereby significantly improving the quality of long-term marine measurements.

Biofouling – the build-up of microorganisms, algae or mussels on underwater surfaces – poses a major problem, especially for permanently installed measuring systems in coastal waters. Even thin biofilms can distort measurement results or significantly impair the functionality of sensitive sensors. The system developed at the IOW addresses this issue and uses focused UV-C light with a wavelength of 200–280 nanometres, which is known for its disinfecting effect, to specifically and effectively prevent the formation of biofilms – without the use of toxic biocides.

At the heart of the now patented invention is a special lens optic that focuses the light from energy-efficient UV-C LEDs precisely onto the surfaces that need to be protected from biofilm growth. As a result, energy efficiency is increased by a factor of about twenty compared to previous commercial systems. This is crucial for use in autonomous, battery- or solar-powered measuring stations where energy availability is highly limited.

The system's effectiveness was confirmed in extensive field tests in the Southern Baltic Sea under actual operating conditions. Underwater sensors that measured seawater conductivity and were protected by the new system remained within their specified measurement accuracy and permanently free of biofouling over a period of 237 days. The field test results were published in 2025 in the scientific journal Frontiers in Marine Science and underline the suitability of the system for long-term use in marine environmental monitoring.

The anti-fouling system was developed primarily by Robert Mars, head of the IOW's instrumentation department. He played a key role in the design, testing and technical implementation. "Our goal was to create a solution that was both reliable and environmentally safe for long-term use under real-world conditions," says Mars. "The fact that we have now received both scientific confirmation and a patent shows that our approach paid off," the measurement technology expert concludes.

Originally developed for the IOW's autonomous MARNET measuring stations, which the institute operates in the Baltic Sea on behalf of the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH), the patented technology is also suitable for other applications in marine research and environmental monitoring, as well as in aquaculture. The granting of the patent recognises the IOW's innovative achievements in the field of sustainable marine measurement technology.