Sea grass, a bit of shell, and a lump of limestone: a very peaceful still life that can tell a bigger story.

Limestone is formed in warm shallow seas over great periods of time … ‘Great’ as in millions of years! When marine creatures die they sink to the bottom, and their bodies build up on the sea floor. Limestone is essentially the fossilized and calcified remnants of these creatures. Florida limestone is about 50-60 million years old, quite white, fairly soft, and contains many fossils. It is not difficult to find a lump of rock with the impression of a shell, or indentations from marine botanical life.

The juxtaposition of this bit of sea grass and a small shell fragment next to a well-marked limestone rock (fossil) is the epitome of “before and after”!

Information on Florida limestone from http://www.floridacaving.com.