Recent news

To help raise funds for the Society and to help member to find books about shells and related subjects, and to dispose of unwanted books, the Society runs an annual book auction and sale.   The last auction has now closed;  the sale list remains open.

Since the BBC Wildlife Fund was established in 2007, it has raised nearly £3 million and supports 87 projects around the world. It is now scheduled to be axed. Sign the petition to save it.

Images of a Pteropod taken by Tom Ashton at St Andrews. Pteropds are a group of molluscs that are free swimming, living in the water column generally near the surface. There are two broad types - those that lack a shell (order Gymnosomata) and those which have a shell (order Thecosomata). The species photographed here is shell-less.

Summary of molluscs found by Ian Smith during a visit to a couple of sites on the Mersey. Includes images of some seaslugs including Onchidoris bilamellata and the tiny Tergipes tergipes.

A new identification book ("A guide to stuff you find on the beach") aimed at 6 to 8 year olds was launch on Easter Monday. This guide was the idea of 6 year old Amy Winterbottom and covers the shells, seaweeds and pebbles of the East Anglian coast.
 

Today saw the official launch of the Evolution Megalab, a project run by the Open University that uses Banded Snails (Cepaea nemoralis and C. hortensis) to study evolution. Find out more about how to get involved.

Zebra mussel (Dreisenna polymorpha) is included in RISC project, funded by Defra. This project aims to get more people involved in collecting records about our non-native species to fine out more about their status.

From 6th April 2008 wild caught Roman Snails Helix pomatia will be protected from intentional taking, injury or killing, as well as possession and sale.

The prize sponsored by the Conchological Society of Great Britain and Ireland, for the best student poster on a conservation / biodiversity theme was awarded to Joaquim Reis, a PhD student at the University of Lisbon, Portugal, for his poster (presented jointly with Rafael Araujo from Spain).