Mangroves were reported to eat into limestone atolls like so much cake - but could it have been diatom partnerships at mangrove roots that ate into the rock? If gypsum formation is a clue, how could we find a more seagoing (or estuary/beach based clue) that diatoms fancy calcium carbonate...and what they are willing to swap for it? :D
Yes, diatom inclusions can be found in shellfish shells. Diatoms are a type of microalgae with silica-based cell walls that can sometimes be incorporated into the shells of various marine organisms, including shellfish. Shellfish, such as mussels, clams, and oysters, are filter feeders, meaning they filter large volumes of water to extract their food, which includes plankton, bacteria, and other microscopic organisms. As a result, they can inadvertently incorporate diatoms into their shells.
Diatoms certainly do not eat the rock itself. They have no reason to. Their shell, i.e. the frustule is made of opaline silica, they are not made of calcium carbonate.
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