We believe the calcified worm our reader found is a dead shipworm! These specimens are found all over the world and are known for burrowing into shipwrecks and feasting on decaying wood.

Common species include Aphrodita hastate and A. aculeate. Aphrodita hastate occurs on the North American coast from the Gulf of St. Lawrence to Chesapeake Bay and A. aculeate is a common European species.