Sediment texture and component heterogeneity over the south Andaman and Swaraj Dweep fringing reef

Key Messages: (1) Reef facies belts play a crucial role in the depositional framework, and their biogenic carbonate components—such as coral, algae, mollusks, and foraminifera—are quantified here in reefal sediments to better understand spatial variations. (2) The fine sand fraction (0.063 to 0.25 mm) is most common (~64% for South Andaman and ~70% for Swaraj Dweep) in reef environments, and we here characterize the sediment types systematically.