1. A mound or reef-like structure formed by the accumulation of skeletal remains of marine organisms, especially corals and other colonial animals, in their original position of growth.
Usage: geology; paleontology; technical term

Examples

• The bioherm discovered in the limestone formation provided evidence of ancient coral communities.
• Geologists studied the bioherm to understand the depositional environment of the Paleozoic era.
• Unlike a bioclastic deposit, a bioherm preserves organisms in their original growth position.
• The bioherm contained well-preserved fossils of colonial corals and bryozoans.
• Bioherms are important indicators of shallow marine conditions in the geological record.