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.

Most seashells come from mollusks, a large group of marine animals, including clams, snails and oysters, which make shells as a protective covering. These shells are created from the outer surface of ...

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 ...