Rapid Testing of Resistance of Timber to Biodegradation by Marine Wood-Boring CrustaceansLucy S. Martin 1, J. Reuben Shipway 1,2, Marc A. Martin 1, Graham P. Malyon 1, Mou Akter 1, Simon M. Cragg 1
1University of Portsmouth, 2Microbiology Department, University of Massachusetts
This protocol presents a method for assessing the feeding rate of the wood-boring crustacean, Limnoria, by measuring faecal pellet production. This method is designed for use in non-specialist labs and has potential for incorporation into standard testing protocols, to evaluate enhanced wood durability under marine conditions.