The strength of biogenic sand reefs: Visco-elastic behaviour of cement secreted by the tube building polychaete Sabellaria alveolata, Linnaeus, 1767

Abstract

Mechanical properties of the biomineralised cement from tube-building marine worms are poorly known. Secreted from an organ connected to the polychaetes specialised glands, the cement glues sand grains and calcareous shell fragments of a given size and, on a larger scale, ensures the resistance of the reef to waves. In this study, three kinds of mechanical tests were performed with worm tubes to establish the nature of the cement behaviour. Results obtained show that cement behaves like a visco-elastic material. This property allows the tubes to dissipate the mechanical energy from the waves to which they are subject and to reduce the mechanical stress transmitted inside the tubes to the polychaetes. Comparison of “fresh” and “dry” cements highlights that the visco-elastic behaviour of the cement is maintained after five years. The viscosity of the cement is therefore not related to moisture but to its chemical composition. More generally, these results offer a better understanding of the role of cement on worm reefs strength and their persistence in the geological record.