Travel

Seashells of the Carolinas coast tell stories

By Grazia Walker

Correspondent
A NURSERY FOR BABY OYSTERS: The white spots on this shell are “spats” – newly settled oysters. Each spat, in the right environment, could have grown into an adult oyster.
A NURSERY FOR BABY OYSTERS: The white spots on this shell are “spats” – newly settled oysters. Each spat, in the right environment, could have grown into an adult oyster. Grazia Walker

It’s fun to collect sea shells on your beach vacation. And if you look at a shell, or a fragment of a shell, you may find the story of the animal that built it. In fact, a story is written on each shell that tells if it was eaten by another shell, if it was home for other animals, how long ago it died, and more.

The shell is the shield a mollusk builds around itself for protection. It is like our skeleton since it grows as the animal grows, can be repaired, and stays around the animal until it dies. The live creature never leaves for another shell.

Click the photos above to see what you can discover!

This story was originally published March 25, 2016 at 1:00 AM with the headline "Seashells of the Carolinas coast tell stories."

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