Fouling control and modeling in reverse osmosis for seawater desalination: A review

•The different fouling mechanisms impairing RO membranes were described.•The various fouling control strategies to mitigate RO membrane fouling were discussed.•Novel RO membrane materials to effectively control fouling were addressed.•Macroscale modeling and simulation of the fouling effects was reviewed for RO.•Microscale modeling based on CFD in RO membrane channels was critically analyzed.