Multi-scale crystallographic ordering in the cold-water coral Lophelia pertusa.

摘要: Lophelia pertusa is a widespread colonial cold-water coral which can form large three-dimensional habitats for benthic communities. Although it known to construct an aragonite skeleton with optically opaque and translucent bands, details of its biomineralized structure are unclear. New crystallographic data obtained from using electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) reveal remarkably high degree multiscale self-ordering provide unprecedented detail on orientations within the skeleton. The EBSD unequivocally demonstrate self-regulated architecture across range spatial scales, resulting in specific contributes physical robustness evolutionary advantage such habitats.