Poel: Jetties in Kirchdorf harbour need to be renovated after fungal infestation

Fungal infestation in Kirchdorf

The wooden walkways in the Kirchdorf harbour on the island of Poel are about to undergo extensive renovation. Mayor Florian Lechner confirms a massive fungal infestation as the reason for the immediate need for work. The municipality is bearing the entire cost of 133,000 euros itself, as there is no time to apply for funding. The footbridges should be ready for use again this year. Last year, an investigation by Wismar University of Applied Sciences revealed that the wooden structures, which are over 30 years old, were severely damaged by a wood-destroying fungus. As part of the current repairs, all piles will be checked and replaced if necessary. The harbour in Kirchdorf is considered an important tourist location for the island of Poel, partly because many guest yachts moor here.

The area around the island of Poel has a lot to offer. A trip report:

• District portrait: Wismar Bay - a jewel on the doorstep

Ship's conch in Timmendorf

While a fungus is attacking the wood in Kirchdorf, Timmendorf harbour is struggling with a different biological problem. The shipworm Teredo navalis is causing considerable damage to wooden harbour facilities along the entire Mecklenburg Baltic coast. According to Lechner, two years ago two eucalyptus piles broke off in Timmendorf harbour, which had only been installed two years previously. A current investigation shows that other oak and eucalyptus piles are affected by the infestation. However, a large part of the construction is made of the tropical wood Greenheart, which has so far been largely resistant to the shipworm. The mussel recently caused massive damage in Wismar, where the Brunkowkai quay had to be renovated at a cost of 8.5 million euros.

Poel is not an isolated case: threat to wooden jetties

Although the parallel damage in Kirchdorf and Timmendorf have different causes, they illustrate the vulnerability of wooden harbour facilities to biological influences. While the fungal infestation in Kirchdorf necessitates short-term repairs, the shipworm represents a long-term structural challenge for the entire coastal region.

Shipworm mussels are also causing problems in the North Sea and have even contributed to the toppling of a maritime monument:

• Bremerhaven: Lighthouse at the mouth of the Geestemündung threatens to topple over