Photo credit: The Meta
Pink sand beaches form in the few regions where tropical coral reefs flourish offshore, but what gives it the color is an amalgam of calcium-rich shells and fragments of invertebrate sea creatures, from minute, single-cell protozoa to spiny sea urchins. Chiefly responsible are foram, a type of protozoan that lives in great profusion in reef environments. The microscopic red Homotrema rubrum (red foram) gets mixed in with other (predominantly white) reef debris-broken clam and snail shells, fragments of coral-and, when washed ashore, forms the island’s signature pink sand. Click here to view the first image in today’s viral picture gallery. Continue reading for a viral video of a pool party for unexpected guests.
