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, ...

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.

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 ...

Don't think you're a clam person? Consider the cockle. The pint-sized bivalve is 100 percent sweet, tender meat with none of the overwhelming brininess that turns people off from other shellfish. Even ...