Coral calcium products have great health benefits for your bodies, but does the harvesting of them harm the coral reefs that produces this nutrient packed powder?  The answer is that it actually helps the reefs - read on to find out just how your coral calcium is harvested.

The reefs of Okinawa, Japan and those off Brazil’s coast are the two main sources of coral calcium.  This mineral can be obtained either from the land or from the ocean’s floor at the foot of the coral reefs.

Many of Okinawa’s coral islands have a volcanic origin.  Frequently, coral reefs associated with underwater volcanoes like these will grow sideways.  They do this to cover pits which the volcanoes produced in the seabed.  Removing marine coral calcium droppings which pile up around the reefs  clears a pathway for expansion and new reef growth.

The coral reefs have edges that drop off making coral sand which is used for the coral calcium products we consume.  It takes a long time to make the calcium and the pieces accumulate over a period of years. The natural movement of the waves contribute to the making of the reef.  The waves help break off the pieces of the coral reef as do the fish that nibble on the reef.  This sediment falls to the ocean floor making coral sand.

Coral calcium grows in the ocean and it has to be cut from the coral reef and this is similar to trimming a rose bush. Coral calcium grows in the Okinawa Islands where there is a lot of sand and there is a possibility of the sand smothering the coral reef.  The government controls the coral calcium harvest in Okinawa and the laws are strict.  The government only allows three Work Cooperatives to collect coral sand from the Okinawa Islands, thus insuring the health and growth of the coral reefs.

No damage is done to the living coral reef during this harvesting.  They’re actually revived and brought back to life. The dredges that are used to gather marine coral by lightly suctioning the sand are known as suction dredges. The coral is actually harvested three or four miles away form the nearest reef. To protect the environment, fences surround the area where deep trenches are hollowed out.

Coral calcium products are healthy for our bodies and also for the coral reefs.  Unlike many products which are harmful to the environment, this is one renewable resource where the harvesting actually helps the source it comes from.

Tags: Coral Calcium Products