Capdepera, Majorca, Baleares, Spain.
Biogenic sand is composed of exoskeleton or bone fragments of dead sea (usually) creatures. This sand is widespread in low latitude (less than 35°) beaches. There are many different organisms that can contribute to the formation of this sand type and therefore one biogenic sand may greatly differ from the other.
Most biogenic sands are light-colored and its components are usually made of carbonate material, although some organisms prefer silica. Important source material for biogenic sand are the remains of clams, sea snails, foraminifera, algae, corals, echinoids, sponges, etc. Sand may be composed up to 100 percent of biogenic grains but mixtures of mineral and biogenic grains are common also.
If you want to know to whom the tiny skeletons below belong, check out the articles of Sand full of mysteries and Sand full of life.
Biogenic grains from a sand sample collected in Zakynthos, Greece. The width of the view is 7 mm.
Majorca biogenic sand
