Marine Wood Borers Research Articles

Evaluations of the deterioration characteristics of thermally treated wood samples from Corymbia citriodora and Eucalyptus urophylla caused by marine wood borers

The low natural durability properties of some types of wood indicate the need for treatments to enhance the resistance of these materials to biological decay. In the sea, this resistance is necessary due to the actions of wood-boring mollusks and crustaceans. These treatments must be effective without harming the environment. Wood thermal treatment should be evaluated for this purpose. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the deterioration characteristics of thermally treated wood samples from Corymbia citriodora and Eucalyptus urophylla under the actions of marine wood borers. A method was proposed to aid in this assessment. Ten samples of these woods, both untreated and thermally treated, were submerged in the sea, each at a depth of 2.5 meters, for five months. After this period, the external borehole number, mass loss, and central flat lesion parameters of the samples were evaluated. Both the thermally treated and untreated wood samples of C. citriodora showed less deterioration than those of E. urophylla, with fewer boreholes, smaller lesioned areas, and lower mass losses. Compared with untreated wood and E. urophylla wood, thermally treated C. citriodora wood exhibited some resistance to marine wood borers. It was concluded that C. citriodora wood was naturally more resistant to marine wood borers than E. urophylla wood. Moreover, thermal treatment increased the boring resistance of C. citriodora wood while increasing the susceptibility of E. urophylla wood. The digital measurement of flat lesions was proven to be an auxiliary and promising method for evaluating the deterioration process.

Recruitment and growth of the xylophagous bivalve Bankia martensi ( ) with different levels of wood biofouling species cover

Teredinid bivalves (shipworms) are the main wood degraders in marine environments. However, little is known about the biological interactions between these marine wood borers and wood-associated biofouling species. Filter-feeding species and seaweeds are frequent biofoulers on the submerged wood. Using the marine xylophagous bivalve Bankia martensi (Stempell, 1899) as a model, we hypothesized that increasing the abundance of biofouling species on wood will decrease the recruitment and subsequent growth of the shipworm B. martensi. During the springs of 2020 and 2021, experiments manipulating biofouling cover were carried out using pine panels in Bahía Metri, southern Chile. Three experimental levels of biofouling cover were established (low: 0%–10%, intermediate: 40%–50%, and high: 90%–100%). After five months, the number of B. martensi perforations (as proxy as larval settlement density) and specimen sizes (length, width and volume) in the panels were measured. An inverse relationship between the perforation densities of B. martensi and biofouling cover on the wooden panels was observed. The most frequent biofouling species were mussels and seaweeds which tended to settle on the upper and lateral surfaces, while acorn barnacles and bryozoans were more frequent on the lower surface. Bankia martensi perforations were reduced with increasing biofouling cover. The number of perforations varied according to the panel surface, higher density on the upper and lateral surfaces and lower on the underside. Bankia martensi specimens were larger, both in length and in volume, in panels with low biofouling compared to intermediate and high biofouling cover, while width did not vary with treatment. Our results suggest that the biofouling cover decreases B. martensi recruitment and growth rates, which in turn reduces the wood degradation rate caused by this teredinid. Future manipulative experiments with selected biofouling species (filter-feeders, such as mussels and barnacles), as well as incorporating measurements of reproductive traits of shipworms could help in understanding the biological interactions between these marine communities of wood-boring and biofouling species.

Characterization and distribution of Teredinidae assemblage in an estuary in Ceará, Brazil's Northeast.

Teredinids are bivalves mollusks considered the most abundant of invertebrates group of marine wood borers performing an important role in the mangrove environment. This study aimed to characterize the Teredinidae species from the Acaraú River estuary in Ceará and analyse the relationship between the mangrove plant structure and the distribution of Teredinidae, according to gradients estuaries: vertical (flooding) and horizontal (salinity). The collection of mangrove logs with Teredinidae happened in three places within the estuary (inner, median, and upper); in each area, three transects were traced in which three plots were lined off, and a total of 40 logs were collected. Teredinidae species were found and identified: Nausitora fusticula; Neoteredo reynei; Teredo turnerae; Teredo cf. bartschi; Bankia bipennata; Bankia gouldi; Lirodus massa and Lyrodus cf. bipartitus. The Lyrodus cf. bipartitus, Bankia gouldi, and Teredo cf. bartschi species were registered for the first time in Ceará. The distribution and species richness of Teredinidae were directly related to the vertical gradient (flooding) and heterogeneity of the mangrove forest habitat. The data presented here are essential for comprehending the mechanisms responsible for the distribution patterns of the Teredinidae species in the mangrove, contributing to biodiversity conservation in Ceará coastal zones.

New Record of Marine Wood-Borer Species in Mangrove Forest of Nusa Lembongan, Bali, Indonesia

Research has been carried out on the presence of wood-borer species in the mangrove forest of Nusa Lembongan, in May-June 2022. The study was conducted at five representative sites of mangrove forests in Nusa Lembongan. The data collection of the mangrove wood-borer was carried out by purposive sampling, which directly searches for dead mangrove stems, twigs, or roots that were attacked by the marine wood-borer found at each site. A total of There were new record four species of mangrove wood-borer, namely, Phaenops sp. beetle group (Coleoptera) and Cenoloba sp. moth group (Lepidoptera), two species of Mollusks, namely, Bankia minima and Bactronophorus sp. were identified. The larval stages of Phaenops sp. were found within the dead mangrove stems of Rhizophora apiculata and Sonneratia alba. Cenoloba sp. which was found in the larvae phase, the host plant was the dead stems of the mangrove Sonneratia alba. Bankia minima, the host plants are dead stems of mangroves Sonneratia alba, Rhizophora apiculata, Rhizophora stylosa and Avicennia sp. Bactronophorus sp., the host plant is dead wood from the mangrove Sonneratia alba, Rhizophora apiculata. The most widely distributed wood-borer species in the mangroves of Nusa Lembongan is Bankia minima. The results showed that four species of marine wood-borer are new records in the mangrove forest of Nusa Lembongan.

Redescription of Bactronophorus thoracites Gould (1856) and Bankia gracilis Moll (1935) from Sabah Waters, Malaysia, with Short Ecological Notes and Measurements Metrics

Highlight ResearchRedescription of marine woodborers, Bactronophorus thoracites and Bankia gracilis from the region were illustrated.New records of Bactronophorus thoracites and Bankia gracilis from the region.Addition info on the measurements of pallets was recorded.Certain ecological data on the habitat of marine woodborers Bactronophorus thoracites and Bankia gracilis were documented.AbstractMollusc wood-borers are classified into two groups: pholads and teredinids. While pholads have a limited distribution to temperate and tropical marine waters, teredinids are found worldwide. However, limited info on the taxonomy was documented on the marine wood borer in Sabah, Malaysia. Present study focuses on determining the wood borer species from Sabah waters, Malaysia. Samples were collected from fallen tree debris in the mangrove at Kota Kinabalu, Kuala Penyu and W.P. Labuan during low tide and water quality parameters were taken in-situ from all three sampling sites. Specimen identification was carried out by observing the physical characteristics of the pallets which are unique between genuses. The species Bactronophorus thoracites was identified from the Kota Kinabalu sampling site and species Bankia gracilis were found in both the Kuala Penyu and W.P. Labuan sampling site. The pallet of B. thoracite are of “dagger-and-sheath” shape, it is 26mm in length, with blade measuring 10mm in length, basal cup 4mm in length and stalk 12mm in length. The pallet of B.gracilis is characterized by the dark periostacum covering the 3-lobbed upper margin of the calcareous portion of the inner face of the cone, the pallet is 20mm in length, with the blade and stalk both measuring 10mm in length. The present study described two species of marine wood borers namely B. thoracites and B. gracilis in Sabah and W.P. Labuan with some measurement metrics and ecological parameters that were missing from previous studies that aided the process of species identification in future.

Rapid Testing of Resistance of Timber to Biodegradation by Marine Wood-Boring Crustaceans.

Wood-boring invertebrates rapidly destroy marine timbers and wooden coastal infrastructure, causing billions of dollars of damage around the globe every year. As treatments of wood with broad spectrum biocides, such as creosote and chromated copper arsenate (CCA), are now restricted in marine use by legislation, naturally durable timber species and novel preservation methods of wood are required. These methods undergo testing in order to meet regulatory standards, such as the European standard for testing wood preservatives against marine borers, EN 275. Initial investigation of durable timbers species or wood preservative treatments can be achieved quickly and inexpensively through laboratory testing, which offers many advantages over marine field trials that are typically costly, long-term endeavours. Many species of Limnoria (gribble) are marine wood-boring crustaceans. Limnoria are ideal for use in laboratory testing of biodegradation of wood by marine wood-borers, due to the practicality of rearing them in aquaria and the ease of measuring their feeding rates on wood. Herein, we outline a standardizable laboratory test for assessing wood biodegradation using gribble.

PENGARUH LAMA PENGUJIAN TERHADAP SERANGAN PENGGEREK KAYU DI LAUT PADA KAYU MALAPOGA (Toona ciliata) DAN KAYU TEA (Artocarpus elasticus Reinw. Ex Blume)

Timber in brackish waters and at sea is often damaged by marine wood borer (marine borers). For some fishing communities and people living in coastal areas, the use of boats is very important for them as a support for their livelihood as a means of transportation. Until now, the use of wood as raw material for boats is still frequently used. The wood used in boat building will of course often come in contact with sea water so that it does not rule out the attack of marine borers that will reduce the strength of the wood especially if it is used for a long time. The research objective was to determine the effect of the length of testing at sea on the strength (MOE and MOR) and the natural durability of Malapoga wood (Toona ciliata) and Tea wood (Artocarpus elasticus Reinw. Ex Blume). This research was conducted for 3 months at the Material Testing Laboratory, Faculty of Engineering and Agrotechnology Laboratory, Faculty of Agriculture, Tadulako University, while testing for marine borers was carried out in the waters of Talise Village, East Palu District, Palu City, Central Sulawesi. The test uses the Malapoga wood and Tea wood test samples with sizes2 cm x 2 cm x 30 cm. Meanwhile, at sea testing and data analysis using a completely randomized design (CRD) factorial pattern with 2 factors was repeated 5 times so that there were 30 samples with 10 test samples (control) without immersion in the sea. The results showed that the length of the test had a very significant effect on the strength of wood (MOE and MOR) and the natural durability of wood (weight loss percentage) and the types of Malapoga wood and Tea wood were classified in the strong class V (five).

Autochthonous production contributes to the diet of wood-boring invertebrates in temperate shallow water.

Marine wood-boring invertebrates rapidly fragment coarse woody debris in the sea. These wood borers have the ability to digest wood cellulose, but other potential food sources have been less investigated. To assess the contribution of each potential food source to the diet of wood borers, we traced seasonal and environmental changes in δ13C of shipworms cultured under the same experimental conditions and related these changes to variations in δ13C of potential food sources, i.e., wood log and particulate organic matter (POM) by using multiple linear regression models rather than the Bayesian mixing model. Based on the standardized partial regression coefficients in the model, it became clear that wood-derived organic carbon was the main carbon source for the teredinids, and POM also accounted for 37.9% of the teredinids' carbon source. Furthermore, we clarified variations in supplemental nitrogen sources for the teredinids: one species depended on both POM and wood log, whereas the other three species depended on either POM or wood log for their nitrogen source. δ13C values of another wood-boring bivalve of Martesia (Pholadidae) increase as it grows, which suggests that the bivalve switches its feeding strategy from xylophagous to filter feeding as it grows. Wood borers are known to accelerate the transfer of organic materials derived from wood logs to marine ecosystems. However, this study suggests that autochthonous production strongly contribute to the diet of marine wood borers, helping them to decompose wood logs in temperate shallow water.

On the record of two species of the family Pholadidae (<i>Martesia fragilis</i> and <i>Martesia striata</i>) off Dhamara Estuary (Odisha), Bay of Bengal

Present study provides first authentic record on the presence of two wood boring bivalve species belonging to the family Pholadidae, namely Martesia fragilis collected from offshore region of Dhamara estuary and Martesia striata from driftwood obtained from Dhamara estuarine complex. Recurring coastal water current pattern might be the cause of large scale dispersal of such marine wood borers by passive transport mechanism. Since, the study area is located much nearer to the Mangrove forest, Dhamara port and jetty area, the presence of wood boring organism could be a challenge in future for the mechanical durability of the coastal natural resources and artificial structures.

Macrobiological Degradation of Esterified Wood with Sorbitol and Citric Acid

There is a need for new solutions in wood protection against marine wood borers and termites in Europe. A new solution could be the esterification of wood with sorbitol and citric acid (SCA) since these are inexpensive and readily available feedstock chemicals and have shown protective properties against fungal wood degradation in earlier studies and prevented macrobiological degradation, as shown in this study. Protection of wood products in the marine environment lacks available wood preservatives that are approved for marine applications. Termite infestation is opposed mainly by biocide treatments of wood. Several wood modification systems show high resistance against both marine borers and subterranean termites. However, the existing commercialized wood modification products are costly. Both macrobiological forms of degradation represent a great threat for most European wood species, which are rapidly and severely degraded if not properly treated. This study investigated esterified wood in standard field trials against marine wood borers, and against subterranean termites in laboratory trials in a no-choice and choice test. The treatment showed good resistance against wood borers in the marine environment after one season and against subterranean termites in the laboratory after eight weeks. The low termite survival rate (SR) in the no-choice test during the first week of testing indicates a mode of action that is incomparable to other wood modification treatments.

Trophic niche partitioning in marine wood-borers revealed by stable isotope analysis

Marine wood-borers often live in sympatry, sharing deadwood scattered at sea, both as food and habitat. In this study, carbon and nitrogen isotope compositions were determined to test the hypothesis that the trophic niches of Chelura terebrans, Limnoria quadripunctata, and Nototeredo norvagica obtained from softwood boards maintained in running, unfiltered seawater are different. Comparison of isotope compositions supports niche partitioning, with N. norvagica foraging primarily on wood, and crustaceans foraging on decaying wood. Needs and acquisition routes for nitrogen determine the trophic behavior of the species. Results presented here are valuable for assessing the impact of wood-boring species on each other, but also for evaluating the effect of the separation of carbon and nitrogen sources on the diversity of the interactions between co-existing species belonging to the same trophic guild.

Durability and protection of timber structures in marine environments in Europe: An overview

Timber structures in marine applications are often exposed to severe degradation conditions caused by mechanical loads and wood-degrading organisms. This paper presents the use of timber in marine environments in Europe from a wood protection perspective. It discusses the use of wood in coastline protection and archeological marine wood, reviews the marine borer taxa in European waters, and gives an overview of potential solutions for protection of timber in marine environments. Information was compiled from the most relevant literature sources with an emphasis on new wood protection methods; the need for research and potential solutions are discussed. Traditionally, timber has been extensively utilized in a variety of marine applications. Although there is a strong need for developing new protection systems for timber in marine applications, the research in this field has been scarce for many years. New attempts to protect timber used in marine environments in Europe have mainly focused on wood modification and the use of mechanical barriers to prevent colonization of marine wood borers. The importance of understanding the mechanisms of settlement, migration, boring, and digestion of the degrading organisms is key for developing effective systems for protecting timber in marine environments.

Durability and protection of timber structures in marine environments in Europe: An overview

Timber structures in marine applications are often exposed to severe degradation conditions caused by mechanical loads and wood-degrading organisms. This paper presents the use of timber in marine environments in Europe from a wood protection perspective. It discusses the use of wood in coastline protection and archeological marine wood, reviews the marine borer taxa in European waters, and gives an overview of potential solutions for protection of timber in marine environments. Information was compiled from the most relevant literature sources with an emphasis on new wood protection methods; the need for research and potential solutions are discussed. Traditionally, timber has been extensively utilized in a variety of marine applications. Although there is a strong need for developing new protection systems for timber in marine applications, the research in this field has been scarce for many years. New attempts to protect timber used in marine environments in Europe have mainly focused on wood modification and the use of mechanical barriers to prevent colonization of marine wood borers. The importance of understanding the mechanisms of settlement, migration, boring, and digestion of the degrading organisms is key for developing effective systems for protecting timber in marine environments.

First record of marine wood borer (Mollusca: Teredinidae) Dicyathifer mannii Wright (1866) in Sabah, Malaysia, with detailed measurement metrics

The present study describes the new record of Dicyathifer mannii under the family Teredinidae Rafinesque, 1815. Sampling was conducted in the mangrove area of Kuala Penyu and sample was collected from dead wood debris. The pallets of Dicyathifer is half-conical in shape and 8mm in length. The cone measured 3.9mm in length and 3.6mm in width. The cavity is 1.2mm deep; the curve of the opening on the cone is about 98% of the depth of the cone. Inside the cone cavity, from the center, a ridge with rib-like feature runs down the length of the cavity. Only one species of Dicyathifer is recorded and the present species is the first new record described in Malaysia with some additional measurement metrics for future taxonomic identification purposes.

A comparison of biodegradation caused by Teredinidae (Mollusca:Bivalvia), Limnoriidae (Crustacea:Isopoda), and C. terebans (Crustacea:Amphipoda) across 4 shipwreck sites in the English Channel

The need to protect underwater cultural heritage from biodegradation is paramount, however with many sites needing funding and support, it is hard to prioritise, thus the ability to identify high risk sites is crucial to ensure resources are best placed. In doing so a clear understanding of environmental conditions acting upon a site and abundance and composition of species present is essential to this identification. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the rate of biodegradation on four underwater cultural heritage sites in different marine environments by placing a series of wooden test panels in direct contact with the exposed structure on the sites. Upon recovery, test panels were photographed, X-rayed, and wood boring and sessile fouling species were identified and counted. The damage attributed to each species was recorded with CAD software. Results indicated a significant difference between sites, with HMS Invincible having the highest abundance of marine wood borers and the highest rate of surface area and volume degradation; whilst vestigial evidence of marine wood borers was found on the London, it would appear the environmental conditions had significantly impeded their survival. The study indicated further factors such as sediment type and coverage, availability of wood and the proximity of other colonised sites were also determining factors controlling the abundance of marine wood borers and the rate of biodegradation.

It’s what’s inside that counts: computer-aided tomography for evaluating the rate and extent of wood consumption by shipworms

Experiments were done to investigate in situ colonization of pine wood blocks by marine wood borers at the mouth of a small mountain river in the foothills of the Eastern Pyrenees. Standardized blocks were recovered after remaining underwater for increasingly long durations, until the available resource was exhausted by the shipworms assemblage that developed. Computer-aided tomography (CT) was used for visualizing and quantifying biogenic structures into the wooden blocks. The biodiversity survey of the wood pieces colonized indicated that up to three species of shipworms shared the resource at the same time. The specific wood consumption rate of Nototeredo norvagica was estimated 185 mm3 ind−1 day−1. The quantification of voids created by shipworm crowding indicated that total tunnelling represents, on average, 60% of the initial volume of a wood block, revising upward earlier estimates of wood destruction by 28%. CT analysis provides the quantitative measurements necessary to parameterize individual-based growth models linking wood consumption with the species diversity of shipworm assemblages.

Boring Through History: An Environmental History of the Extent, Impact and Management of Marine Woodborers in a Global and Local Context, 500 BCE to 1930s CE

Abstract While depictions of mariners fighting fearsome sea monsters or battling terrifying storms entertain us to this day, it is perhaps ironic that one of the main threats to commerce over the last millennium or more has come from a series of very small organisms whose history has been submerged in historical accounts. Despite their marked long-term and large-scale impacts on global marine infrastructure, shipping and economies, shipworms, pillbugs and gribbles - collectively referred to as marine woodborers - have received no substantial scholarly attention from environmental historians. This article first overviews their historical spread around the world, demonstrating, too, their disruption of global travel and trade, then traces past problems and management attempts in New Zealand from the arrival of the first humans, c.1300, to the 1930s. New Zealand presents a particularly rich study demonstrating the spread, impacts and management responses to marine woodborers. Until the more widespread and successful use from the 1900s of both ferro-concrete pilings and chromated copper arsenate (CCA) as a wood preservative, colonists in different parts of New Zealand unknowingly experimented with techniques which had failed elsewhere in the country. A longstanding inability to learn from past failures in nineteenth-century New Zealand demonstrates the lack of co-ordinated application of management techniques in the colony, and suggests both the fragmentation of colonial knowledge and the limitations of colonial science, as new ideas were introduced at a local level rather than nationally. Due to the overwhelming attention given to globalisation's role in spreading terrestrial plants and animals - and to a lesser extent aquatic freshwater fishes - an examination of the extent and response to marine woodborers provides significant new perspectives on the neglected subject of non-indigenous marine organisms.

An experimental approach for understanding the process of wood fragmentation by marine wood borers in shallow temperate waters

An experimental approach for understanding the process of wood fragmentation by marine wood borers in shallow temperate waters

Damage and alteration of mangroves inhabited by a marine wood-borer

Damage and alteration of mangroves inhabited by a marine wood-borer

Biodegradation of wood exposed in the marine environment: Evaluation of the hazard posed by marine wood-borers in fifteen European sites

The activity of marine wood-borers causes great destruction in maritime wooden structures. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the hazard posed by marine wood-borers in fifteen European sites, to assist authorities and researchers concerned with the protection of wood in the sea. In northern Europe, Teredo navalis is the species that poses the highest borer hazard while in the Atlantic coast of southern Europe Lyrodus pedicellatus is the most destructive species, with the exception of two sites in Portugal. In these sites, Limnoria tripunctata was more destructive than L. pedicellatus. In the Mediterranean both T. navalis and L. pedicellatus pose a very high borer hazard to wooden structures.Salinity and temperature emerged as the environmental conditions that best explain the occurrence and abundance of wood boring species in the sites surveyed. Three of the species highlighted in this study are warm water species. Therefore their activity might increase in the future, due to global warming. Considering that wood is still a very valuable material for construction, its use for maritime construction should be favoured. Thus research to improve the durability of wooden materials in the marine environment is of paramount importance.