Degradatioyi of Lignocellulose Material by Marine Fungi 325 



O - FRAME C 

 A — FRAME D 



A o 



o 

 o 

 o 



▲ 



o 



O A o 



O o 



o 



LENGTH OF EXPOSURE IN DAYS 



Fig. 5. Degradation of cordage exposed at Marine Laboratory pier. 



of single twists as well as among closely adjacent fibers. More 

 extensive and imifoiin fungal infestation of the cordage occurred 

 with increased submergence. 



In the characterization of the fungi present on the cordage, 

 attempts have been made to differentiate between fungi actually 

 penetrating the fibers and those present on the surface of the 

 cordage or in the detritus on the exposed material. The 

 predominant group of fungi isolated from the infested fibers 

 were various ascomycetous species, including representatives of 

 Liilworthia, Peritrichospora, and Torpedospora. At least three 

 to four species of Liilworthia colonized the exposed cordage 

 within the initial 10 days of exposure. As many as ten to twelve 

 different deuteromycetous taxa have been isolated during the 

 early period of submergence. With longer exposure the total 

 number of different types of fungi on the cordage decreases. 

 After approximately one month, the majority of the fungi isolated 

 were Ascomycetes, particularly Liilworthia, which was often tlie 

 only Ascomycete genus collected. 



Species of Aspergillus, Penicillium, Fusariiim, Phoma and 



