Study of the crystallographic architecture of corals at the nanoscale by scanning transmission X-ray microscopy and transmission electron microscopy

►We investigated the crystallographic orientation of aragonite in a coral skeleton. ► We combined HRTEM and polarization-dependent synchrotron-based STXM imaging. ► Polarization-dependent synchrotron-based STXM imaging is presented as a new approach. ► We evidence the presence of mesocrystals in coral skeletons.