Biofouling (IMAGE) Office of Naval Research Caption A Sailor scrapes barnacles from the bottom of a rigid-hull inflatable boat aboard the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74). When clustered in thick clumps on a vessel's hull, barnacles can slow the ship and increase its fuel consumption. The Office of Naval Research is sponsoring research to develop environmentally friendly hull coatings to fight off barnacles. Credit (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Apprentice Christopher Frost/Released) Usage Restrictions None License Licensed content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.