I_gotta_rock Posted April 17, 2017 Share Posted April 17, 2017 The Delaware Bay is quite a mixed bag. Things wash up from various ages. We find paleozoic marine stuff. We find pleistocene petrified cyprus wood. This weekend we found a few pieces of coral in Lewes, DE. They are obviously way too new to be paleozoic. The only living reef around here is made up of tube worms because the water is too dang cold for coral. Anyone have any ideas how old this might be? Calvert Cliffs is on the other side of the peninsula and to the south. They contain Miocene corals, but the geography is very different. Anyone have a clue? I refuse to give up my childish wonder at the world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plax Posted April 17, 2017 Share Posted April 17, 2017 actually I think this is a modern (dead) encrusting coral on a sponge ridden mollusk shell. I can't think of the name of the coral off hand but it doesn't mind the cold water there apparently. Delaware had a very nice Miocene site at Pollack Farm near Dover a while back. You can do some googling on that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I_gotta_rock Posted April 17, 2017 Author Share Posted April 17, 2017 Thanks. I changed my search parameters and found a few things. There is a deep-sea, cold-water reef. It is 100 miles from the spot I was wandering this weekend. I had though Pollock farm was all terrestrial, but it turns out that a layer of it is part of the Miocene Calvert Formation, to which I alluded in my original post. I have been to Calvert several times and the specimens I have are well-enough preserved to resemble this. I found two other species on the beach this weekend. One resembles what I have from Calvert. That is not to say that even if they are the same or closely related species that they aren't an extant species that persisted. Identifying corals is out of my league at the moment. The fossil corals and shells off the OBX are deceptively well-preserved, too. It was not until I found some encrusted in sandstone from he pleistocene shelf after the last hurricane that I realized they're not recently deceased. I'm not sure which is more likely at this point. Something washing 100 miles to the shore or the Miocene fossils washing down from tributary to river to bay. I'll have to keep looking. Did find this if anyone wants a good read on the Miocene Pollock Farm: https://www.scribd.com/document/24446964/Pollack-Farm-Fossil-Site-Delaware-Shark-Teeth-Mioceen I refuse to give up my childish wonder at the world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plax Posted April 18, 2017 Share Posted April 18, 2017 probably from the last warm interglacial if not modern regarding the OBX if that's outer banks. The deep water reference you cite may be one off New Jersey which would be off Delaware also. A specific reference doesn't necessarily mean a unique site. These aren't reef building corals but are encrusters. There are similar but relatively unrelated types from as far back as the cretaceous in the middle atlantic states. Astrangia danae is native but am thinking you would be better off with a book instead of google judging by my feeble efforts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doushantuo Posted April 18, 2017 Share Posted April 18, 2017 pixcouldbebetter,still.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squali Posted April 18, 2017 Share Posted April 18, 2017 Looks like Plax nailed it as evidenced by doushantuo. Pretty hardy coral. It's hard to remember why you drained the swamp when your surrounded by alligators. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I_gotta_rock Posted April 22, 2017 Author Share Posted April 22, 2017 Master solved. Thanks! I refuse to give up my childish wonder at the world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HansTheLoser Posted May 21, 2017 Share Posted May 21, 2017 Very probably Astrangia or Coenangia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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