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76 chapter  Collecting Seashells Many people start to collect shells by picking up seashells on a visit to the beach or perhaps land snails in their own backyard. Whether they immediately become interested in collecting shells or wait many years for another opportunity to visit the shore, they often want more shells in their collection. There are basically three ways to build a shell collection: (1) collect the shells yourself; (2) trade them with other collectors; and (3) purchase them from dealers. Many collectors find the first option the most enjoyable, while others who live far from the shore or shelling grounds find pleasure in exchanging or buying shells. This book is only about seashells; therefore, only seashell-collecting methods will be discussed, but the topics of trading, purchasing techniques, and maintaining a collection apply to nonmarine shells as well. Regulations and the “Sheller’s Creed” Before you start on a shell-collecting trip, be sure to check the local laws. Many places regulate and limit the number and/or species that can be live collected; the area may be closed for any live collecting on a seasonal basis or permanently; and you may need a permit. You need a valid fishing license with a freshwater or saltwater stamp to take live mollusks in the public waters of Texas (TPWD 2006: 22), although you do not need one to take empty or dead shells. At the time of this writing (August 2008), the only place in Texas that currently has laws limiting collection of live shells is South Padre Island, where there is a combined daily limit of 15 live univalve shells (all species), including no more than 2 each of the following species: lightning whelk (Busycon pulleyi); pear whelk (Busycotypus spiratus); horse conch (Triplofusus giganteus); Florida fighting conch (Strombus alatus); banded tulip (Fasciolaria tulipa); and Florida rocksnail (Stramonita haemastoma) (Blankinship et al. 2005;TPWD 2006: 28). Additionally, there is an annual “no-collection” period, from November 1 to April 30, which prevents the taking of any live or dead mollusks or their shells (including those with hermit crabs), starfish or sea urchins within the area bounded by “the bay and pass sides of South Padre Island, and from the east end of the north jetty at Brazos Santiago Pass to the west end of West Marisol Drive in the town of South Padre Island, out 1000 yards [914 m, or 3000 ft] from the mean-tide line, and bounded by the centerline of Brazos Santiago Pass” (TPWD 2006: 28). There are some areas protected for conservation, such as the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (FGBNMS), where collection can only be done by those granted a scientific permit. Visit the FGBNMS Web site for more information: http://flowergarden.noaa.gov. The Hawaiian Malacological Society (HMS) proposed “A Sheller’s Creed” and first published it in Hawaiian Shell News in August 1973 to guide their members when collecting live shells. Many shell clubs and collectors around the world have adopted this short code of conduct, and as a marine biologist and former HMS vice president, I (Moretzsohn) encourage our readers also to adopt it. It is reproduced here by kind permission from HMS. A Sheller’s Creed The wild life and natural resources of this world have been entrusted to me for protection and preservation. Whether I wish it or not, I must account to the future for my handling of this wealth today. If I collect shells, I will do it conservatively, recognizing that destruction of the marine habitat, by whatever means, is the true enemy of the sea and its creatures. Four rules to shell by: 1) Leave the live coral heads alone! Look in the rubble, under the slabs, in the sand and among the loose chunks. 2) Put rocks and corals back in place, the way you found them, even in deep water. Many things live under them even if you do not recognize them. Continued exposure to light, [predators] and current will kill many of them. Collecting Seashells 77 the beach or by snorkeling or scuba diving and then bring the samples home or to the laboratory. Samples can be placed on trays, air-dried, sorted by size by using a series of sieves with different mesh sizes, and then studied under a stereomicroscope (Kay 1980). Live micromollusks can be collected through several specialized techniques, such as rinsing seaweeds and brushing rocks into a plastic bag or pillowcase while scuba diving. Live...

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