Stromatolite

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Modern stromatolites in Shark Bay, Western Australia.

Stromatolites (from Greek strōma, mattress, bed, stratum, and lithos, rock) are special rock like structures. They usually form in shallow water. They are special because they consist of layers of biological materials that have been trapped in the rock. The biological materials captured are microorganisms, most often cyanobacteria (commonly known as blue-green algae).