Among the millions of bivalve molluscs in the Museum's collections, one specimen stands out: a large oyster shell, donated to the Museum in 1886 and containing a peculiar pearl. Rather than a ...

The oyster or mussel slowly secretes layers of aragonite and conchiolin, materials that also make up its shell. This creates a material called nacre, also known as mother-of-pearl, which encases the ...

which includes chitons and shell-less worm-like animals. These worm-like animals, approximately two centimeters in length with long spines, stand out among early molluscs for their distinctive ...

In exchange for this protection, these algae provide essential nutrients to the mollusks. But how does light reach these algae when the shell remains ... for their growth. Dakota McCoy, from ...

Crucial to the integrity of Pacific Northwest ecosystems, they’re expert recyclers of nutrients in soil and water, improving water quality in springs and rivers and enriching soils in old-growth ...