Untreated waterlogged wooden artifacts must often be kept submerged in water for extended periods of time prior to treatment. These conditions provide an ideal environment for the growth of various microorganisms on the wood surface which can reduce the effectiveness of future impregnation treatments. Five different techniques potentially capable of reducing this surface growth have been evaluated: germicidal UV sterilization, filtration and circulation, antibiotics, cooling, and biological control. Ln order to assess the efficiency of each technique, a semi-quantitative method for measuring the growth of bacteria on submerged wood was developed. Practical considerations such as cost and availability of materials used in eachsystem are discussed.