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"

The most important thing to do is to establish positively that it is
fungi you are dealing with. It is common for shells to have salt
blooms which look very much like fungi. The advise re removal and
stooge you have already received are logical approaches if indeed it
is fungi.

Mary-Lou Florian


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 17:52
                 Distributed: Sunday, February 1, 2004
                       Message Id: cdl-17-52-008
                                  ***