Although mussel-inspired coatings have been extensively studied, most of them suffer from high-cost preparation, poor mechanical strength and low abrasion resistance, which impede them from practical applications. In this study, we report the synthesis of low-cost but robust mussel-inspired coatings based on polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), which could continuously release zinc ions at a high release rate when immersed into artificial seawater (ASW). The coating exhibits high mechanical strength, strong adhesion to stainless steel (SS), and excellent anti-abrasion properties. Moreover, a complicated fabrication process is not required for the coating, which makes it a potential candidate for marine antifouling coating.