Mold on mollusk shells

Jill K. Harris <jillharr [at] vmnh__net> writes

>A co-worker posed the following question; and, I have no idea how to
>answer her.  Does anyone have experience with this problem?  Or,
>know anyone I could contact to discuss this with?
>
>   "I am supposed to help the people at the marine lab in Brazil
>    curate the Marcus bryozoan collection--it was stored for years
>    in humid conditions in Sao Pauli, and when I looked the
>    collection last year, I saw that many of the specimens, which
>    are on dead shell substrata, were covered with networks of
>    fungal growth--I wondered if you have any ... contacts that
>    might be able to offer advice on how to get rid of it--and keep
>    it from re-occurring. Judy"

To remove mould from Bryozoans is difficult. I would suggest the
following.

Carefully submerge the specimens in IMS (alcohol) and remove them
after a few minutes.  This will kill off any active growth in the
fungus but you will still be troubled with fungal hyphae
contaminating the bryozoans.  This you may have to live with as the
bryozoans are too delicate to involve any removal of the threads by
mechanical means--you would only end up doing more damage! Try to
keep the bryozoans specimens at a low RH 45-50% and you should have
no recurring problem of this kind.

Simon Moore, MIScT, FLS, AMUKIC,ACR,
Conservator of Natural Sciences.
Hampshire County Council
Recreation and Heritage Department,
Museums and Archives Service,
Internal  8-327-6737
+44 1962 826737


                                  ***
                  Conservation DistList Instance 17:50
                 Distributed: Tuesday, January 20, 2004
                       Message Id: cdl-17-50-009
                                  ***