Stromatolites are layered carbonate structures formed by photosynthetic cyanobacteria. Dating back more than 3.5 billion years, they are among Earth's oldest known fossils.

The hard structure of coral, known as the “coral skeleton”, is composed of calcium carbonate, the same material that makes up limestones.

Between 252 and 66 million years ago, the ocean underwent a revolution. That's when plankton with calcium carbonate skeletons colonized the open ocean. When they died, their remains fell like snow ...

In expansion, individual polyps deposit calcium carbonate beneath their bodies in a cuplike shape, which enlarges as the polyp grows. Then, when the distance between polyps gets large enough, and ...

One likely scenario is that reefs will have fewer organisms that make calcium carbonate structures. Marine calcifers, like corals and shellfish, struggle to make skeletons and shells in acidic ...

The ecology of coral reefs is rapidly shifting from historical baselines. One key-question is whether under these new, less favourable ecological conditions, coral reefs will be able to sustain key ...

When we are out snorkeling here in Hawai‘i, we all see hard stony coral that has different colors. Coral is made up of a hard calcium carbonate structure that is similar to the concrete we build ...

Researchers use synchrotron X-ray total scattering and quantum computer simulations to model the crystal structure of amorphous magnesium carbonate as a function of temperature. As a precursor to ...