Microbial maceration and carbonate dissolution on cold‐temperate shelves

Studies in the northern Norwegian Troms district indicate that widespread carbonate dissolution and maceration phenomena are taking place, at least seasonally, on cold‐temperate shelves. These processes occur preferentially within microenvironmental niches in a broadly calcium carbonate supersaturated environment. These niches appear to be associated with organic material and bacteria and suggest a case for microbial bioerosion.