Biogenic Sands

Grains derived from marine organisms. Qochayx Island, Coos County, Oregon

  Biogenic grains in sand include the parts of both marine plants and animals that use calcium carbonate minerals in their bodies. Whole or broken up, their hard body parts contribute to sand. The fragments found in sand reflect the marine diversity of the region. They can include fragments of shells, corals, sea urchin spines and their hard bodies, barnacle plates, bryozoans and more. Some sand samples are completly composed of biogenic grains as in the examples below.

Auke Recreation Area
Auke Recreation Area

Juneau, Alaska Barnacle plates and blue mussel fragments.

Morovo Lagoon
Morovo Lagoon

Kaunjou Island, Solomon Islands Urchin spines plus pink forams

Puako Beach
Puako Beach

Big Island, Hawaii Urchin spines, mollusks, green olivine, black basalt

Coral Strand
Coral Strand

Galway, Carraroe County, Ireland Coralline algae rods, mollusks

Taga'chang Beach
Taga'chang Beach

Yona, Guam Urchin spines, mollusks, pink forams

Huguenot Memorial Park
Huguenot Memorial Park

Ft. George Island, Florida “Shell Hash” clam and oyster shell fragments

Kemah Boardwalk,
Kemah Boardwalk,

Kemah, Texas Barnacle plates and crab claws

Horseshoe Bay
Horseshoe Bay

Southampton, Bermuda Pink and disc-shaped forams, urchin spines, coralline algae

Hakampo Beach
Hakampo Beach

Haean National Park, South Korea Bryozoan rods showing pores, mollusks fragments