trip, sometimes taking a boat to one of 

 the barrier islands. It's actually a 

 treasure hunt — the person with the 

 best find of the day receives a prize. 



But the big event comes in 

 November, when members gather at 

 the Cape Fear Museum in Wilmington 

 for the annual N.C. Shell Show. Judges 

 award trophies and ribbons in 21 

 categories, some for shell crafts or 

 photography and some for the scientific 

 merit of collections. Collections are 

 divided into "self-collected" or "from 

 any source." Although some shellers 

 insist on finding their own treasures, 

 others don't hesitate to pay for a 

 coveted specimen. At the last show, a 

 dealer offered shells ranging from 

 $1.50 for an onyx cowrie from the 

 Philippines to $3,500 for a Fulton's 

 cowrie found in Mozambique. 



Many shell club members travel 

 the world to expand their collections. 

 Shell tags list exotic locales, such as 

 the Caribbean, the Red Sea, Australia 

 and Japan. Many retirees find shell 

 collecting the perfect hobby because 

 they have time to travel. 



Although Buddenhagen has yet to 

 retire, she does travel all over the world 

 for shells. But the adventure is not 

 what draws her. The best part, she says, 

 is the peaceful feeling she gets from 

 swimming underwater in a dim, green- 

 glazed, slow-motion world or standing 

 in a salt marsh with the breeze ruffling 

 the tall grass. Buddenhagen is happy 

 just watching the snails and clams in 

 their natural environment. 



The mantle, a fleshy tissue that 

 lines the inside of the shell, is what 

 actually creates the mollusk's outer 

 covering. The mantle takes in minerals 

 from seawater and forms a substance 

 called conchiolin that it uses to form a 

 lattice framework. Calcium carbonate 

 from the seawater forms crystals on the 

 lattice, and the shell grows. The mantle 

 produces color by concentrating 

 pigments from food in cells along its 

 lattice edge. 



The characteristic shape and color 

 of a shell rely on the genetic code of 

 the animal. In each species, genes 

 determine what the mantle can draw 



from seawater or food. Genes also 

 determine where the pigment cells 

 attach on the lattice. Depending on 

 their placement, these cells form 

 patterns of bands, dots and zigzags. 

 The animal's environment is important 

 too — it determines what minerals are 

 actually available. 



Shell identification sometimes 

 requires delving into research literature 

 to determine subtle differences in 

 species. Two shells with slightly 

 different patterns may be variations of 

 the same species. Or a small shell 

 could be a young mollusk rather than 

 an adult of a small species. 



Some shells pose an identification 

 challenge even for veteran shell 

 collectors or researchers. Authorities 

 base species classification on the 

 features of the creature inside the shell 

 rather than the shell itself. If someone 

 discovers a new shell that is empty, it 

 is placed in a group based on the 

 shell's features. If someone later finds 

 that same shell with the living animal 

 inside, the organism might be reclassi- 

 fied. 



People who concentrate on 

 studying shells are called concholo- 

 gists. Those who focus on the whole 

 animal are called malacologists; they 

 study the mollusk's physiology and 

 behavior. Classifications become 

 clearer as scientific groups and 

 collectors continue to learn and 

 contribute information about mollusks 

 and their shells. 



Although they don't work directly 

 with scientists, passionate shell 

 collectors like Buddenhagen can make 

 extraordinary contributions to science. 

 The wealth of information that 

 amateurs accumulate allows scientists 

 to note changes in abundance and 

 locations of shells. And their shell 

 identification skills provide a valuable 

 resource for students and researchers. 



As Buddenhagen discovered, good 

 collectors know to hit the beaches right 

 after big storms and hurricanes. But 

 many leave too soon and miss shells 

 that continue to wash in weeks later, 

 Porter says. 



Another good time for finding 



shells comes after the passage of a cold 

 front. This sudden blast of cold air 

 lowers water temperatures and kills 

 many tropical species that can't 

 survive a rapid change to lower 

 temperatures. Other marine animals 

 feed on the dead organisms, and the 

 empty shells eventually wash ashore. 



Porter says the best shell collect- 

 ing in North Carolina is usually on 

 barrier islands during the late winter 

 months. Wind direction is also an 

 important factor because the wind 

 drives the waves that bring in the 

 shells. "A good direction is generally 

 out of the northeast," Porter says. 

 During the summer, the winds blow 

 from the southwest. 



The equipment needed for shell 

 collecting varies with the site. The 

 ocean side and the sound side of a 

 barrier island have different shells. 

 Shoes aren't necessary on a sandy 

 beach, but a sturdy pair is needed in 

 the thick mud of sounds where razor- 

 sharp oyster shells can slice a foot. 

 Although offshore exploration will 

 require scuba-diving equipment, the 

 basic tools for sounds and beaches are 

 simple: 



• A collecting bag with a few 

 small containers for storing fragile 

 shells separately. 



• A notebook and pen to record 

 date, location and conditions. 



• A shell guide to identify the 

 shells you find. 



• A hand rake if you'll be looking 

 through piles of shells. 



• Sunscreen to protect your face 

 and neck from burns. 



It's also important that visitors to 

 beaches and sounds ask themselves 

 several important questions: Is this 

 shell really special to me? What am I 

 going to do with it after I get home? 



North Carolina has no laws 

 against collecting empty shells or 

 limits on the amounts that can be 

 taken. The state relies on a system of 

 personal values. Some first-time 

 visitors get carried away, filling 

 buckets and baskets. But after vaca- 

 tion, most shells are thrown out or 

 forgotten. It's fine to take a few shells 



12 MARCH/APRIL 1996 



