A heart cockle shell has been found to let in light through a design that resembles fiber optic cables. This could inspire everything from helping coral survive to designing new camera lenses. There's ...

This week’s low midafternoon tides provided excellent beachcombing conditions around lunchtime. I found a variety of treasures, including pen shells, pear whelks, and hundreds of Atlantic cockles.

Q I collect shells on the beach, particularly large shells, and use them for soap dishes and such around the house. Can you tell me what these large shells are? A. These are cockle shells, common on ...

SLURPING OYSTERS from their shells may be a rare indulgence for humans, but these bivalve molluscs and their relatives, such as clams and mussels, slurp for a living. Most are filter feeders, ...