The development of world trade is based on the global transport of goods and people, and the most advantageous and most common form of transport is transport by ships, which, with their service in a demanding medium such as seas and oceans, must withstand numerous challenges such as corrosion and fouling. The hull and the rest of the structure of modern ships are made mainly of carbon steel and aluminum, which are susceptible to corrosion damage in the marine environment and require adequate protection against corrosion. The most commonly used method for corrosion protection on ships is protection with coatings that form an impermeable barrier between steel or aluminum and marine environment. In addition to the corrosive effects of the sea, the outer surface of the ship’s hull is also exposed to fouling of marine organisms such as bacteria, algae and shellfish. By settling on the ship’s hull, they increase the friction between the hull and seawater, increase the weight of the ship and cause damage to the protective coating. The most commonly used method for protection against fouling are anti-fouling coatings that are applied to the outer surface of the underwater part of the ship’s hull. Antifouling coatings have been in use for many years, but with raising awareness of the protection of the sea and marine organisms and the progress of technology, some old types of antifouling coatings based on tributyltin base have been abandoned and banned, and new, more effective and less harmful coatings for the marine world are coming into use. Currently, the most common antifouling coatings in shipbuilding are self-polishing antivegetative coatings based on copper biocides. In this paper, the efficiency and quality of antifouling coatings with an insoluble matrix and self-polishing coatings on steel and aluminum substrates were studied.