The Importance of Fungi in the Sea 305 



Bauch (4), and Wilson and Knoyle (62) studied mycelia of 

 Didymosphaeria-species and their relationships to the hostal 

 tissues. 



Higher plants of the sea, of brackish water or of the sea 

 shore are also attacked by fungi. As examples, we will mention 

 the host genera ] uncus, Posidouia, Spartina, and Zostera, many 

 of which are inhabited by Ascomycetes and Fungi Imperfecti 

 (see the host index of Meyers, 38). 



Fungi as Saprophytes 



Most marine fungi have been found on dead organic material 

 or even on inorganic substrates (calcareous deposits or sand). 

 It seems to be likely that many parasitic species may also live 

 as facultative saprophytes. For saprophytes in the sea, dead algae 

 as well as dead roots of mangrove-trees, driftwood or driftbark 

 are available as organic substrates. 



Algae or higher marine plants washed ashore are mostly 

 attacked by Deuteromycetes (8, 9, 58, 59, 63). Members of the 

 Moniliales predominate while the Sphaewpsidales are mainly 

 parasitic. 



A great part of marine saprophytes hitherto discovered de- 

 velops on wood or fibers. Thus, these organisms have especially 

 strong cellulolytic abilities. Barghoorn (2) found a heavy de- 

 composition by marine fungi on ropes that were suspended in 

 the sea for 6 months, and pure cultures of Ascomycetes and 

 Deuteromycetes growing on manila twine caused a considerable 

 "loss in tensile strength of the material and an increase in total 

 reducing sugars" (39). 



Every piece of wood— even pilings in ports and embankments 

 that are treated with wood preserving chemicals— is superficially 

 softened after being in sea water for a certain time. Tlierefore it 

 was of economic importance to find out which microorganisms 

 cause wood decomposition in the sea. In natural habitat aerobic 

 bacteria and fungi will certainly attack wood simultaneously. 

 In pure culture-experiments with marine bacteria Kadota ( 26, 27 ) 

 has demonstrated the cellulose dissolving ability of these organ- 

 isms. Pure cultures of marine Ascomycetes and Deuteromycetes 

 grow readily on wood and other cellulose-containing substrates 



