I’m not sure if this should be General or Nature Talk but here it goes.
I was recently on vacation and I personally enjoy picking up almost every shell and looking at it. Would it be helpful to upload the shells on inat? My assumption was no because I don’t know how far away the organism grew. I mean some seaweed floats for miles (tens? hundreds?) before it ends up on a beach.
But I have also seen and read articles of IDs of organisms that washed up on shore.
For those who know mollusks and sea organisms better than I, is it beneficial to have IDs of organisms that washed up on shore?
Yes, it is helpful because it shows evidence of organism. Same with seaweed.
Please make sure that if you take any shells with you that you mark the location and date at collection.
Definitely a great way to get lifers!
Definitely upload them! Finding shells and putting them on inaturalist is one of my favorite things to do these days. There are some great identifiers that can help with all kinds of mollusks. While many shells can be ubiquitous in certain areas, there is also much variation in what shells are found where. It’s neat to see what is found by the harbor, what is found nearby but on the barrier beach, etc. Some beaches have more variety than others, it’s good to document that too. If you can take a few minutes to look for tiny shells that’s even better.
Yes, it is definitely worth it. There are many mollusk species that would never appear on iNaturalist at all if it weren’t for observations of shells cast up on a beach. This is especially true for those that measure less than 5 mm.
Several photos will be needed. Try to get straight-on shots of the inside and the outside of bivalve shells, both the left and right valves if possible. The hinge teeth are important, as well as the size and shape of the pallial sinus and also any exterior surface sculpture. For gastropods, include straight on views of the dorsal and ventral sides. The details of the aperture are often critical (teeth, nodules, folds, lyrations, etc.) and often the sculpture of the nuclear whorls.