Studies of marine fouling and boring off Kodiak Island,Alaska

Marine fouling and boring off Kodiak Island, Alaska, was studied at depths of 5, 15, and 30 m by exposing wood/asbestos test panels and retrieving them at monthly and cumulatively longer intervals. Fouling was moderate between June and October and negligible between November and May. The fouling communities at 15 and 30 m were quite dissimilar, probably due to a large surface-to-bottom salinity gradient. The community at the 30 m level was dominated by Balanus crenatus and Pseudochitinopoma occidentalis, that at 15 m by Alcyonidium polyoum and Obelia borealis. At the 5 m deep, pierside site, the most common organisms were B. crenatus, O. borealis and Desmacystis sandalia. Borer attack was a trace at 5 and 15 m and slightly more severe at 30 m.