a type of mollusc (= a type of creature that has a soft body, no spine, and is often covered with a shell) that lives in the sea and that can damage wooden structures by making holes in them

People in coastal towns began noticing that shipworms were eating through their docks. 住在沿海小镇的人开始注意到，蛀船虫正在吞噬他们的码头。