Re: Kathleen Larkin and scuba diving for shells.  I've dived (dove ?) in
FL and Bahamas since 1992.  There tends to be 'quality' rather than
'quantity' of shells when diving. You may not find so many but are more
likely to find something really special. They are in the usual places,
in the sand, on wrecks (including the sides) and under rocks.
I've always been told to turn up a rock facing away from you so that
anything 'interesting' underneath, e.g. a moray eel, might swim away,
not towards you.

Most (what do I mean, most? ) - All  of the shells I found this summer in
the Gulf were fresh-dead or even longer dead. But they were great.

If you find a single bivalve, pick it up - the mate might be around
somewhere and that will give you a pair.

Make sure to pick up anything shell-like no matter how crusty it is.
You can always throw it back later. I picked up in the depths a
latirus looking thing and a cone looking thing and found myself
with a latirus carniferous and a (probably) conus cardinalis when
I cleaned off the layers of gunk.

-Karen