Most marine animals form their shells from calcium carbonate, which is a tough mineral also found in limestone. Some sponges ...

Mollusks, from land snails and slugs to oysters and mussels in the sea, have a few things in common. They have a head. They have a soft middle part that holds their organs. Then, some have a muscle ...

Seashells are abundant along coastlines, originating from mollusks that construct exoskeletons for protection. Comprised mainly of calcium carbonate, these shells possess enduring qualities that make ...

Researchers and citizen scientists document the fascinating lives of seashells. Seashells, with their beautiful shapes and colors, have inspired humans since the dawn of time. Equally fascinating are ...

At the beach, take only pictures, leave only footprints and sandcastles. The mollusks have enough problems already. Sunrise falls on a lightning whelk on the beach at Sanibel Island in southwestern ...

During a day at the beach, it’s common to see people walking up and down the shore collecting seashells. As a paleontologist and marine ecologist, we look at shells a bit differently than the average ...

As a blustery, wet cold front pushed toward Sanibel, things looked grim for the small army of volunteers ready to hit the beach before dawn. Troops were poised to fan out over 12 miles of sand for the ...