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, ...

Heart-shaped marine mollusks have evolved a unique adaptation to harness sunlight. Researchers from the University of Chicago, Stanford University, and Duke University closely studied heart cockles ...

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 ...

Healthy corals are colorful and full of life. And under normal conditions, corals and algae depend on one another. The corals offer the algae protection and the photosynthesizing algae provide the ...

Named for its heart-shaped shell, the heart cockle is a marine clam found in the Indo-Pacific region. Along with plankton that it filters from the water, the mollusk also feeds on sugars produced by ...

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.

So it is at Tillamook Bay, where the four-mile long Bayocean Spit offers a hike or a bike ride to reach clam heaven. The summertime low tides are perfect for this adventure as we cool off with cockle ...