bioeroders
Bioeroders are organisms that remove solid material from substrates through biological activity, causing erosion. They operate on rocks, shells, corals, and other materials in marine and terrestrial environments, and their activity can be both destructive and ecologically productive. Bioerosion results from the combined effects of mechanical scraping, drilling, and chemical dissolution driven by the organisms’ actions.
Major groups include macroborers and microborers. Macroborers such as boring sponges (for example Cliona species), shipworms
Mechanisms of bioerosion include physical boring, rasping, and scraping that mechanically remove material, as well as
Ecological and geological significance encompasses contributions to carbonate cycling, creation of microhabitats, and influences on reef
Human relevance is notable in the deterioration of cultural heritage artifacts, statues, monuments, and shipwrecks, where