Micrite (Microcrystalline Limestone)
Most marine micrite deposits start off as soft carbonate mud on the sea floor. This carbonated mud is almost like regular mud, except that it’s (in the Bahamas) very white. On vacation you can go into the ocean and get back out clean! The mud particles were first thought to have originated with the coralline algae. Coralline algae are little green, crunchy, plant-like organisms that use microscopic grains of calcium carbonate to provide their tissues with support. Mud is often added to the earth during the composting process to give the material more body and texture. Micrites may have been created when calcium carbonate was precipitated from the water column and settled to the sea floor. It’s a mineral that formed from the mud that hardens when exposed to air.
If you’re looking to purchase micrite, visit our Miami Limestone home page. Read more here about micritic history in Florida.