We have developed a model for the prediction of cell attachment to engineered microtopographies based on two previous models: the attachment point theory and the engineered roughness index (ER!) model. The new surface energetic attachment (SEA) model is based on both the properties of the cell material interface and the size and configuration of the topography relative to the organism. We have used Monte Carlo simulation to examine the SEA model's ability to predict relative attachment of the green alga Ulva linza to different locations within a unit cell. We have also compared the predicted relative attachment for Ulva linza, the diatom Navicula incerta, the marine bacterium Cobetia marina, and the barnacle cyprid Balanus amphitrite to a wide variety of microtopographies. We demonstrate good correlation between the experimental results and the model results for all tested experimental data and thus show the SEA model may be used as a powerful indicator of the efficacy for antifouling topographies.