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 myriad of different organisms that can contribute to the formation of this sand type and therefore one biogenic sand may greatly differ from the other. It is even possible to divide the world of sands into two parts – mineral sands and biogenic sands.
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, snails, foraminifera, corals, sea urchins, sponges, etc. Sand may be composed up to 100 percent of biogenic grains but mixtures of mineral and biogenic grains are common also.
