Do Coral Calcium Products Ruin The Coral Reefs?

If you are concerned about your health, you might take one of the many coral calcium products out on the market but did you ever stop to think about what is actually in it?

Coral calcium can be found in the coral reefs located off the coast of Brazil and Okinawa, Japan. Coral calcium can either be harvested from the land or from the ocean floor at the foot of the coral reefs and what goes into your supplements is the natural material taken from either of these places.

A lot of the coral islands of Okinawa are volcanic in origin. Coral reefs that are associated with underwater volcanoes often grow sideways. The reefs grow in this direction to cover the pits produced by the volcanoes in the seabed. Removing the Marine coral calcium droppings that accumulate around the reefs opens a pathway allowing for expansion and new growth of the reef.

Marine coral sand or calcium is produced through disintegration and erosion of the reefs over many years. The coral calcium products are made with this sand. This is a natural process which can be caused by the movement of the waves over the reefs; by certain types of fish that like to munch on the coral; or even by droppings and breakage from the natural aging of the coral.

Okinawa is a group of very shallow islands so the coral sands accumulate almost to the point of choking the coral reefs. The harvesting of the coral calcium, which can be compared to pruning a rose bush, is, therefore, very important. The process is strictly regulated and closely supervised by the Okinawan government and only three Work Cooperatives have been granted the authority to gather the sands in that area.

Dredging is a harvesting method used on marine coral by very carefully sucking the sand with what is known as suction dredges. The harvesting takes place about three or four miles away from the closest reef. To protect the coral's environment, fences are put around the coral area after the deep trenches have been dug. The process of extracting coral calcium is quite safe and does not harm the reef at all.

The ways in which coral calcium is reaped from the sea do not pose any threat to coral reefs or their delicate ecosystems and they create natural coral calcium products that are good for your bodies as well as the environment!