Abstract
A field study was undertaken in order to examine the effect of pre-incubation of test blocks of balsa with marine fungi and their subsequent effect on colonisation when submerged in the sea. Four marine ascomycetes. Ceriosporopsis halima, Corollospora maritima. Halosphaeriopsis mediosetigera and Marinospora calyptrata, were pre-inoculated onto balsa test blocks before submergence in the sca. Control and prc-inoculated test blocks were submerged in the sea at Langstone Harbour, Portsmouth, England, and recovered at 2, 6, 9 and 15 months and the fungi colonising them were recorded. The fungi pre-inoculated on the test blocks were the only species sporulating; there was no sporulation of native marine fungi. The control test blocks were heavily colonised by numerous sporulating marine fungi, and these were similar to those reported in previous studies in Langstone Harbour. These results are discussed in relation to inhibition of sporulation and colonisation and interference competition.