IT SOUNDS like something out of Star Trek but the IW Council is currently grappling with its own episode of Gribble Trouble.
The authority is spending just under £10,000 repairing the public slipway at Wootton. The slipway next to the Sloop was put out of use because it was damaged below the waterline. But when repair work began recently, the structure was found to be being eaten from the inside by gribbles — small crustaceans that feast on wet wood.
The extent of the infestation was such that the repair scheme , originally due to be completed in October, had to be revised. About two thirds of the decking and some of the bearers were found to be damaged and have been taken up. Now using a combination of sustainably sourced hardwood and gribble-proof plastic based wood, the repairs to the slipway will make it safe to use for many years to come. The replacement timber and plastic wood is on order and works are now expected to be completed by the end of November 2007.
Matt Chatfield IW parks and countryside manager, said: “Gribbles are marine isopods related to woodlice which have the ability to eat timber and they certainly enjoyed this slipway.
“They favour the softer wood, not surprisingly, and so they had a good go at the larch planks, slightly less on the hardwood bearers, and luckily couldn’t make an impression on the old greenheart piles which won’t need replacing this time.
“A characteristic of gribble attack is that the crustaceans don’t care for the sunlight and dry timber that is found on the exposed surfaces, so the wood they prefer to eat is hidden away. Hence the nasty surprise when the broken boards were lifted. We know that these works are inconvenient, but the council is determined to return this important public slipway to good and safe condition as soon as possible. I’d like to thank the users for the patience they’ve shown whilst this problem is being resolved.”
Footage of the gribbles at work was filmed by Cat James, IW Council Estuaries Project support officer using a specialist microscope.
The footage is available on Matt’s website NatureNet
