Wood-Boring Marine And Estuarine Animals In Florida

Practically any wooden structure placed in the marine environment for an extended period of time becomes a target for one or more groups of wood boring organisms. The most significant threats to wooden structures are posed by the shipworms, isopods, and pholads. Two main factors contribute to the severity of borer attack in Florida. First, the water temperature never gets cold enough to kill or severely retard the activities of wood borers; second, of the two main borers in Florida, "Limnoria" (gribble) displays a distinct tolerance to standard creosote treatments while "Sphaeroma" (pillbug) is quite tolerant of chromated copper arsenate treatments. This report summarizes results from a project intended to assess the distribution and impact of the marine borer, "S. terebrans" on wooden structures in Florida waters. Grant no. NA86AA-D-SG068