To image the bionic coral skeleton made of , samples were dried at room temperature and sputter coated with iridium (Emitech Sputter Coater)🕹. A coral reef is made of thin layers of calcium carbonate Coral polyps form a living mat over a calcium carbonate skeleton. Each coral has three anatomical parts: surface mucus on the outside, tissue on the inside, and a skeleton made of calcium carbonate deposits. [2] Most bleached corals appear bright white, but some are blue, yellow, or pink due to pigment proteins in the coral.

Coral skeleton · Chemical element and isotope compositions · Climate and environmental proxies/ tracers · Dating 6🤑.1 Introduction 6.1🍋✳️.1 Anatomy of Coral Skeleton The skeletons of stony corals are made of orthorhombic aragonitic calcium carbonate crystals embedded with various chemical elements and organic matter in trace quantities🍸🐂. Since the zooxanthellae produce the majority of coral colouration, the coral tissue becomes transparent, revealing the coral skeleton made of calcium carbonate🌰🌰. The researchers developed a simple yet effective way to extract and identify microplastics from corals🗝📛.