I have something different today.
I came across an article from The New York Times about the over harvesting, or over fishing, of the Chambered Nautilus.
These creatures have incredibly beautiful shells, that is true...but to harvest them to extinction is very sad. The nautilus has been dwelling in the sea for half a billion years. They are called a Living Fossil. To think that there won't be any live specimens in their natural environment for future generations to enjoy isn't only sad, it's appalling.
Many chambered nautilus are harvested to create what is called an Osmena Pearl. It isn't really a pearl, but a jewelry product derived from the beautiful opalescent, iridescent layer inside the shell.
The United States imported 579,000 specimens between 2005-2008. That number is shocking to me.
Marine biologists are lobbying for protection of the nautilus under the same United Nations rules that protect other endangered species.
I have 2 nautilus shells. One was a gift from Grandma in 1984, and I have bought one myself....but after learning what I have, there won't be anymore nautilus bought around here.
Please be a good beachcomber, or diver....never take live shells!
Thanks for joining me today, and I hope you take this post to heart!
I hope to see you tomorrow for Seashore Sunday!
Have a super SAFE shelling Saturday!
Love,
Del
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4 comments:
Thanks for the video - it was really interesting to see it actually swimming. Live shells should never be taken and if I see someone doing that when I'm on Sanibel, I always tell them to put them back.
This was very interesting.. they are such neat creatures, its such a shame. I will certainly never buy a nautilus shell after learning about this! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for the info. It's so hard to know what shells/ dried starfish/ dried seahorses you can buy without guilt. I always wonder which items are carefully managed for sale, and which are overharvested for profit. Maybe I don't want to know, I'd get too upset at how much is going on out there.
Hi Del - thanks for sharing - it's so important that we admire without touching or taking - thanks for keeping us on our toes when we're around nature's beauty!
Happy Sunday ---
Linda
beachside cottage
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