An 1,800-sq-mi area of the New Province platform in the Bahamas was studied in an attempt to evaluate an occurrence of modern marine lithification.

Studies of samples collected from the surface and from vertical profiles of modern carbonates have demonstrated the following: (1) facies variations are more pronounced vertically than horizontally; (2) recrystallization cannot be detected in samples as old as 6,700 yr B.P. that are 8 ft below the water-sediment interface; (3) aragonite is the only form of carbonate cement; and (4) lithification appears to be restricted by depth of water between 9 and 16 ft deep, and is absent in water deeper than 19 ft.

In all localities where lithification occurs, water-sediment bioherms are present. Although these bioherms do not extend into the overlying water, they are present in the sediments to a depth of 3 ft below the water-sediment interface.

For paleoecologic data, bioherms in ancient carbonates should be restudied in an attempt to determine if they actually stood above the water-sediment interface as is so commonly pictured.

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