We have been through three beach renourishment projects locally within
the past eight years.  Very few of the shells which end up on the beach
are "Gem."  Most are heavily damaged but surprisingly some of the more
fragile species (and even crustaceans) survive the seven mile ride in the
dredge
pipe relatively unscathed.  It has been my experience that live specimens
usually
expire within 24 hours after being pumped onto the beach.  This may be due
to the trauma they experience during the trip or by being literraly
smothered due
to burial under several feet of mucky sand.
 
Bill Frank
1865 Debutante Dr.
Jacksonville, FL 32246-8645
Phone/FAX: (904) 724-5326
[log in to unmask]
[log in to unmask]
[log in to unmask]
[log in to unmask]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Visit the Jacksonville Shell Club Home Page at:
http://home.sprynet.com/sprynet/wfrank/jacksonv.htm
 
-----Original Message-----
From: Paul R. Monfils <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Friday, July 03, 1998 2:52 PM
Subject: Re: Sand pumped ashore
 
 
>I recall quite a few years back, a fellow in Natal was getting a lot of
shells
>from a beach reclamation project.  They were pumping sand from an offshore
>area onto the beach, and the offshore sand-swelling mollusks were coming
onto
>the beach too, apparently by the thousands  I recall he got some species by
>the hundreds, which were listed as uncommon at that time.  He sent me a
>hundred Oliva caroliniana, saying he had a couple of thousand of them, all
>gem, and all collected either alive or fresh dead, right on the beach.
Always
>wondered what would have happened if he had returned some of these to the
>ocean - it wound mean returning deep water species to a shallow subtidal
>habitat.  Would they have survived?  Found their way back into deeper
water?
>Any ideas on this?
>
>Paul M.