Carbon Sequestered and Calcium Carbonate Created in Low Energy Process

Coral reefs are the largest biogenic structures on the planet. Key to the corals' success is their strategy for building with Nature's most abundant biomineral, calcium carbonate. Stony corals sequester carbon dioxide by biomineralizing calcium carbonate structures from dissolved carbon dioxide and calcium ions. The process is supported by enzymatic reactions and chemical regulation of pH to enable precipitation and nucleation in a super-saturated solution of dissolved calcium carbonate. Engineers may gather inspiration for sustainable, limestone-based materials that also capture carbon.