Dear all,
        I have been reading all the interesting comments about the reasons
non-floridian taxa are found washed up on our beaches.  Having actually
"salted" the beaches of Sanibel as a lark many years ago [another story] it
brought back alot of fond memories; but the one reason I have experienced in
our local area has not been brought up...the actual "salting" by natural
herself!   Many years ago, I used to own a gift and shell shop in the tourist
area of the Panhandle area of northwest Florida.  Every Summer and Fall, I
would have "tourists" and even a few locals bring in non-Florida shells in for
identification because they couldn't find the shells shown in Florida shell
books.  I would always explain that these were not Florida species and I had
no idea of how they were found washed up on our local beaches.  It didn't dawn
on me, until a couple of weeks after this area was hit by a very strong
hurricane and we had hundreds of beach front homes destroyed, and in some
cases washed out to sea,  that I realized where alot of these shells were
coming from...from the mini-collections or interior decorating of these
destroyed homes...nature takes and nature gives back!   Over the the years I
have watched with great interest, after a good hurricane, what nature "gives
back" in the way of shells, etc...after one really bad storm, we even have a
number of very beautiful toilet bowls washed up on our beaches!   There is
always a good explaination for every thing!
         Sincerely,
          Ed [Schelling]
           Ft Walto Beach, Northwest Florida