03/07/2021
Weβve all done itβ¦ but how bad is taking seashells from the beach? π€
Seashells are important to coastal ecosystems for many reasons β theyβre used as temporary shelters by hermit crabs, material for building nests by birds, are a surface to attach to for algae, and even help reduce shoreline erosion π±ππ
It isnβt likely, however, that beach walkers alone can strip the ocean of all its shells.
Many practices within the tourism industry had lead to shell decline such as using heavy machinery to groom sand (making a more comfortable beach experience) and overharvesting (that often ignores living animals still inside shells) to make souvenirs.
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