Whether it's used for defense, camouflage, lures, or communication, marine bioluminescence adds to the beauty and mystery of the ocean world. Return to Top Shipworms are actually not worms, but marine bivalves similar to clams, specially adapted to bore into wood. They have long worm-like bodies with small shells that act like a rasp for grinding wood. Shipworms can turn solid wood into a brittle honeycomb. They can cause serious damage to such things as the bottoms of wooden boats and pilings.
Shipworms invade new wood as free-swimming larvae.
Because their entrance holes are so tiny, their invasions are hard to detect. By the time harbormasters or boat owners realize there is damage, it's often too late. To protect against shipworms and other fouling organisms, the bottoms of wooden boats today are often treated with copper paint. Pilings are another story. Last year in Maine, shipworms chewed through more wood than in any previous years, destroying hundreds of pilings and causing untold damage to docks.