Microbial Studies of Biofouling of Treated and Untreated Wood Pilings in the Marine Environment.
Abstract
The role of marine microorganisms in facilitating attachment, invasions, and subsequent destination, viz., biofouling, of solid substrata, especially wood, in the marine environment was studied. Relationships between microorganisms, primarily bacteria, and invertebrate macroorganisms that bore into wood were also investigated. It was concluded that naphthalene enrichment of creosote retards biofouling of wood pilings during the first year of placement of the treated wood into tropical marine waters. After that, little or no slowing of biofouling can be detected. The wood boring invertebrate, Limnoria, appears to develop a gut microflora that is both naphthalene resistant and capable of naphthalene degradation. It was hypothesized that this gut microflora enabled the wood-boring Limnoria to survive on cresosote/naphthalene-treated wood. Ames assay revealed no detectable mutagenicity in seawater samples collected near creosote/naphthalene-treated pilings.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 28, 1986
- Accession Number
- ADA165455
Entities
People
- Rita R. Colwell
Organizations
- University of Maryland