title: Fouling communities and degradation of archeological metals in the coastal sea of the Southwestern Gulf of Mexico.
abstract: Corrosion and biofouling phenomena of cast iron and brass were evaluated under natural conditions to determine the degradation process of archeological artifacts. Field exposure studies of experimental materials were conducted over 15 months at an offshore position in the sea of Campeche in the Gulf of Mexico. Corrosion was determined by gravimetric measurements. The community structure of the benthic assemblage inhabiting the surfaces of both materials was evaluated. A total of 53 species was identified. The community in both cases was composed of a small number of species. Encrusting, attached and erect life forms were dominant on iron. Attached life forms were dominant on brass. Biofouling produced a decrease in the weight loss measurements of cast iron samples. Biofouling provided a beneficial factor for in situ preservation of iron archeological artifacts in wreck sites.
authors.affiliation: a Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia, Subdirección de Arqueología Subacuática, INAH , Mexico City , Mexico.
authors.forename: Pedro H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: López Garrido
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: González-Sánchez
authors.forename: Elva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Escobar Briones
mesh_terms: D001106:Archaeology / Q000379:methods*; D057219:Biofouling; D003343:Corrosion; D060851:Gulf of America; D008670:Metals / Q000737:chemistry*; D008800:Mexico
chemical_list: D008670:Metals
keywords: anodic and cathodic reactions; biological colonization; metal dissolution; metallic artifacts; shipwreck; species richness