Abundant ketone isolated from oily Plakortis sponge demonstrates antifouling properties

Marine sponges of the Genus Plakortis are typically unfouled; they can have a distinctive pleasant smell and an oily surface. A significant quantity of fragrant oil was obtained from a Jamaican Plakortis sp. by cryo-trap. The oil was determined to be exclusively 2-decanone. The antifouling character of the oil was evaluated by its effects on surface attachment of a gram negative bacterial model using confocal fluorescence microscopy as well as its effects on the attachment of Dreissena polymorpha (zebra mussel). The ketone dramatically inhibited attachment of the bacteria and zebra mussels. The results suggest that the oil impacts establishment of related epifauna on the Plakortis sponge in nature. Although the aliphatic ketone alone is not a potential commercial alternative for antifouling coatings, incorporating the functionality into coating design should be considered in future studies.