Dear fellow shellers:
  As one who lives in Sarasota at this moment, and who shells in the Bay on a
regular basis - I wish to correct some information floating now on conch-l.
When last out - three weeks ago - there were many various sizes of melongena
abounding. I take only those four to five inches - but there are literally
thousands in the sand within twenty feet of the shore line. The busycon are
beginning to be more plentiful than when I moved here two years ago. Other
species are scattered and not very easily found, unless one has a boat to get
out to some of the sand flats.
   I concur with those who are pointing out that construction and its related
stress on the environment are the greatest dangers to shells in the bay. Have
a good weekend and good shelling to all. DanShell