You’ve probably seen many coral calcium products and, perhaps, you even take one for your own health but did you ever wonder just how the coral calcium itself is harvested?

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.

Many of the coral islands of Okinawa are of volcanic origin and the coral reefs created by these underground volcanoes grow horizontally in order to cover the pits in the seabed caused by the volcanoes. Removing the coral calcium sands that choke off the reefs provides pathways for expansion and room for the reefs to grow.

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.

Removing the coral calcium from the seabed around the coral reef is comparable to pruning a rose bush. Because Okinawa is a cluster of very shallow islands the coral sands accumulate significantly. The sands almost reach the point of choking the coral reef. The harvesting of the coral calcium is stringently regulated and monitored by the Okinawan government. In fact, only three Work Cooperatives are authorized to harvest the coral sand from 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.

Unlike many supplements, coral calcium products are natural and making them actually improves the environment instead of harming it. The ways in which coral calcium is harvested from the floor of the ocean do not endanger the coral reef ecosystem in any way.