[Coral-List] no cigar

[Martin Moe]

Dear Gene,
Many thanks for taking a look at the sand sample. At
least now I know that this is not oolitic sand, and
I'll post your reply on the coral list so that anyone
else that had an interest will be informed. Never
having examined real oolitic sand microscopically, I
wondered about the small, very consistant grain size
(it looked smooth to me, but not very spherical) and
the possibility of oolitic origin. Well now I know,
many thanks.

I enjoyed your post on scientific productivity and how
committees and protocol can stifle innovation and
achievement. I often observed that a single graduate
student, with an idea, passion, good direction, a tiny
room, and a modicum of funding could often surpass the
creativity and production of a lab staffed with a
number of professional scientists working on the same
problems. 

Martin 



--- Gene Shinn <eshinn at marine.usf.edu> wrote:

> Dear Martin, Yesterday I took a look at the sand
> sample under the 
> microscope. I did it with Dick Poore who is a
> foraminifera expert 
> over at USGS. I wanted him to see it because I 
> suspected  you had 
> miliolid sand..Milliolids  are one of the most
> common foraminifera 
> (protozoan with calcium carbonate shell) in Florida
> Bay. They are of 
> uniform size and  appear fairly spherical. I was
> wrong. What you have 
> is well sorted angular carbonate sand particles
> consisting of 
> bryozoan, molluskan, and foraminiferal fragments.
> None of the grains 
> are spherical as an ooid would be but instead are
> very angular. No 
> ooid coatings. Sorry about that.  If they had been
> ooids it would 
> have turned everything we know about them on its
> ear. I would have 
> enjoyed that.  Best Wishes, Gene PS" Since you put
it
> in the coral 
> list I will let you decide if we want to put this
> there.
> -- 
> 
> 
> No Rocks, No Water, No Ecosystem (EAS)
> ------------------------------------
> -----------------------------------
> E. A. Shinn, Courtesy Professor
> University of South Florida
> Marine Science Center (room 204)
> 140 Seventh Avenue South
> St. Petersburg, FL 33701
> <eshinn at marine.usf.edu>
> Tel 727 553-1158---------------------------------- 
> -----------------------------------
>