Editing Biofouling (section)

==Detection==
Shipping companies have historically relied on scheduled biofouler removal to keep such accretions to a manageable level. However, the rate of accretion can vary widely between vessels and operating conditions, so predicting acceptable intervals between cleanings is difficult.

[[Light-emitting diode|LED]] manufacturers have developed a range of [[Ultraviolet#Subtypes|UVC]] (250–280&nbsp;nm) equipment that can detect biofouling buildup, and can even prevent it.

Fouling detection relies on the biomass' property of fluorescence. All microorganisms contain natural intracellular fluorophores, which radiate in the UV range when excited. At UV-range wavelengths, such fluorescence arises from three aromatic amino acids—tyrosine, phenylalanine, and tryptophan. The easiest to detect is tryptophan, which radiates at 350&nbsp;nm when irradiated at 280&nbsp;nm.<ref>{{cite journal |first= Hari |last= Venugopalan |title= Photonic Frontiers: LEDs - UVC LEDs reduce marine biofouling |journal= Laser Focus World |date= July 2016 |pages= 28–31 |volume= 52 |issue= 7 |url= http://www.laserfocusworld.com/articles/print/volume-52/issue-07/features/photonic-frontiers-leds-uvc-leds-reduce-marine-biofouling.html }}</ref>