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News Release 10-150
Cement, the Glue That Holds Oyster Families Together
Chemists discover how oysters bond together to form massive reef complexes
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Oysters build their reefs--such as this one on the South Carolina coast--using a specialized cement, one that differs in composition from their shells, as well as from other marine organism adhesives.
Credit: Zina Deretsky, National Science Foundation; photos by Jonathan Wilker, Purdue University
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An oyster reef in the Baruch Marine Field Laboratory on the South Carolina coast.
Credit: Jonathan Wilker, Purdue University
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Oysters use a chemical cement to bond to each other, a material that differs significantly from the chemistry of their shells or the chemistry of other marine organism adhesives.
Credit: Jonathan Wilker, Purdue University
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