Heart cockle shells in natural light (top row) and illuminated from within to show the transparent shell windows, which vary from little triangles to stripes to mosaics. Credit: Dakota McCoy A team of ...

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, ...

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 ...

An unsuspecting shellfish with an adorable-looking shell may contain the secrets of fast internet speed. This quirk of evolution marks the first time fiber-optic cable bundles have been spotted in a ...

In a discovery that blurs the line between biology and technology, scientists have found that heart-shaped clams use fiber optic–like structures to channel sunlight through their shells in much the ...

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 ...

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.