During the last COIPM Meeting, up to date information on cooperative work to test the resistance of plastic wrapping for pilings were submitted and discussed. In 1986 untreated wood samples wrapped with shrinkable polyolefin sleeves were submerged in 9 stations, situated in temperate and tropical waters. After 1 or 2 years of immersion the samples showed no sign of penetration by marine borers and the surface of wraps was intact. The samples showed moderate to extensive fouling on their surface The control samples in Mediterranean Sea were destroyed within a year. The degree of attack by marine borers and the characteristics of the sites (temperature, salinity, pH) are reported in Tab.1. A study on the biodegradation of waterlogged archeological woods from a 2,500 year old shipwrech was presented. The shipwrech, probably a Greek merchant boat, was detected many years ago near the Isola del Giglio in Tyrrhenian Sea and partly brouht up. The wood samples recovered belong to the ship-planking and to some tools and instrumets, even musical instruments such as flutes. The woods show a severe marine borer attack. At the moment the wood specimens are preserved in water with a fungicide solution. The various decay patterns of the cell wall were illustrated by photos and dias. This study is carried out by Wood Institute of Florence in collaboration with the Archaeological Museum and includes the identification of wood species (three sofwoods and ten hardwoods), their biodegradation and the conservation treatments. A classification on the wood natural resistance against marine borers in Mediterranean Sea and in temperate waters was discussed. This classification was prepared by the Chairman for the Working Group 2 "Natural durability" of CEN/TC 38.

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