Coral sand

Coral sand from a beach on Aruba

Coral sand is a form of aragonite sand particles originating in tropical and sub-tropical marine environments primarily from bioerosion of limestone skeletal material of marine organisms. Often, this is due to corallivores, such as parrotfish, which excrete sand after digestion.[1] However, the term "coral" in coral sand is used loosely in this sense to mean limestone of recent biological origin; corals are not the dominant contributors of sand particles to most such deposits. Rather, coral sand is a mix of coral and/or remnant skeletal fragments of foraminifera,[2] calcareous algae, molluscs, and crustaceans . Because it is composed of limestone, coral sand is acid-soluble.

  1. ^ Biology of parrotfishes. Andrew S. Hoey, Roberta Martini Bonaldo. Boca Raton, FL. 2018. ISBN 978-1-315-11807-9. OCLC 1028214189.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) CS1 maint: others (link)
  2. ^ Yamano, H.; Miyajima, T.; Koike, I. (2000-04-01). "Importance of foraminifera for the formation and maintenance of a coral sand cay: Green Island, Australia". Coral Reefs. 19 (1): 51–58. doi:10.1007/s003380050226. ISSN 1432-0975. S2CID 43843977.

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