Sand along the Mediterranean coast of Israel consists mostly of marine and shell fragments with less dark volcanic and clear quartz sand grains.
The lower magnification view of Achziv sand includes a honeycomb rod fragment of a sea urchin spine next to a centrally located large white chunk of bleached coralline algae. A white and gray benthic foram is present at the top center of this image. Scattered fragmented grains of clear quartz and occasional black volcanic sand grains are distributed throughout this view. The higher magnification more clearly shows the piece of sea urchin spine as well as a piece of sea urchin skeletal plate at the top just to the right of center.
Geographic Overview
Achziv is located in the Western Galilee region of northern Israel on the Mediterranean coast near the southern border of Lebanon. Achziv National Park, a main attraction in this quiet coastal village, consists of a stretch of beach bordered by rocky cliffs, lagoons and sea pools that are both natural and manmade. This area is a marine nature reserve that protects the fauna and flora of the stony reefs and the sandy beach environments. There are nearby remains of the Crusader period as well as the Mamluk and Ottoman eras.
Sand Location
See where this sand sample was collected on Google Maps.
Virtual Sand Tour
Explore an interactive map of Achziv Beach on Google Earth.
Sand Gallery
This spectrum of sand grains includes bleached coral, semi-translucent fragments of bivalve shells with linear striations (one near the upper left and another near the right edge), and small rods representing smoothed pieces of coralline algae.
An off-white rounded Homotrema foram with visible radial segments is just to the left of center. Different varieties of off-white forams are present above and below that foram. Perforated white sand grains near the right bottom edge close to the ruler are bleached bits of worn coral.
A greenish fragment of sea urchin spine is at the top right area of this sample and several opaque microshards of mollusk shell are below a larger pale yellow marine fragment. At the bottom just to the left of center a dark grain of basalt and a small fragment of scallop shell lie above and below a white comma-shaped sand grain.
Foram is a short name for Foraminifera species.