<p>Bacterial, Diatoms and Zn data.</p>

Diatom coverage was reduced by 9.9%, 72.9%, and 71.8% on the corresponding ZnO-coated surfaces. The enhanced antifouling performance was associated with the combined effects of Zn²⁺ ions, ROS generation, surface wettability, and micro/nanotopography. The non-coated D1 and D2 surfaces, together with the ZnO-coated D1 surface, exhibited no significant toxicity toward shrimp larvae.

In contrast, the ZnO-coated D3 surface exhibited relatively low antifouling performance and higher larval toxicity. Among the tested surfaces, the ZnO-coated D1 micropattern demonstrated the best overall performance by combining high antifouling efficacy with low toxicity. Post-characterization SEM analysis confirmed that the ZnO nanorod coatings remained structurally intact after biological testing, indicating good coating stability under the experimental conditions.

These findings demonstrate that combining ZnO nanorod coatings with micropatterned surface topography is a promising strategy for antifouling applications. However, further long-term field evaluations and comprehensive ecotoxicological studies are required to assess the environmental performance of these coatings.</p></div>