Processes involved in the formation of deep-sea carbonate rocks remain controversial. It is reported in present study that macrofaunal burrowing may trigger the dissolution of the original calcite above the saturation horizon and thus drive deep-sea carbonate lithification on mid-ocean ridges. The novel mechanism proposed here for nonburial carbonate lithification at the deep-sea seafloor sheds light on the potential interactions between deep-sea biota and sedimentary rocks.