Phil,
  I can not say that I have seen anything positive in the way of shell
collecting as the result of sand dredging from off shore and beach
replenishment of the Florida West Coast.  :(  Quite the opposite seems to be
true around Venice and the Englewood area.
                       LaVerne
***************************************

>From: Phil Liff-Grieff <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: Conchologists of America List <[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: Beach shells and beach replenishment
>Date: Sun, 8 Jul 2001 14:39:59 -0700
>
>Roland,
>
>There is an interesting side aspect of this question that I have
>encountered in Southern California recently.  Normally our sandy beaches
>have a limited fauna in evidence.   Some of the beaches in San Diego
>County, however,  are being replenished with sand dredged from
>offshore.  The one beach that I visited is suddenly loaded with shells
>of many different types.
>
>There are deeper water species in evidence (Cancellarias, Turrids,
>Bursa, some deepwater Epitoniums, etc.) and many shallow water species
>as well.  These shallow water shells, however, include species normally
>found in muddy bays and other environments unrelated to the current
>habitat in that spot.
>
>What is going on here?  It happens that the dredged sand is coming from
>a submerged beach terrace that was the coastline about 10,000 years
>ago.  So, this particular beach is strewn with shells that are the
>remains of current intertidal residents, current deeper water species
>and fossil/subfossil species.  Could it get more confusing?
>
>Is this experience similar to what one finds in beach replenishment
>projects in Florida?
>
>Phil Liff-Grieff
>[log in to unmask]
>La Crescenta, California
>
>Roland Anderson wrote:
>
> >  Hi All,Does anyone know the relationship between the live mollusks
> > living intertidally on a beach and the dead shells you might find on a
> > beach? How well do the washed-up shells reflect the actual population
> > living there? Anybody know of any studies done on this
> > subject?Thanks.Roland

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