A new application for biomineralization is removal of calcium and magnesium ions from seawater as selective biodesalination Twelve bacterial strains were identified from Atacama Desert with ureolytic activity precipitating calcite in seawater. Rhodococcus erythropolis TN24F removed in just 7 days 95% of soluble calcium and in 14 days of bioassay the 8% magnesium ion.