Marine Environment
Collecting Shells
Within Reach
What is our fascination with collecting shells? Is it just because we see something beautiful and want it for ourselves, or is there some deeper meaning? David Attenborough believes it has something to do with our hunting instincts.
Exploring the Sea, Sky Link
These two photos explore the connection between the sea and sky and how people who don’t live near or have access to the sea may still find a connection to the sea through the vastness and the colour of the sky.
Hidden in the Dark
Even though there are many people out there who keep collections, it would be hard to walk into someone’s home and immediately know from first glance what they collected. Most people will hide their collection away in a safe place like a back room or a cupboard to prevent the possibility that someone might steal it away from them.
Washed Up
It’s all good and well collecting shells. However, there are some ethical considerations involved too. Although the original animal that lived in the shell has died, empty shells still provide a vital habitat to other plants and animals in the ocean. So, is it ethical to collect shells? Without the original collectors like Darwin, we may not have been able to ID as many species as we have now.
Leave Nothing but footprints
Today the message that many conservation organisations are sending out is to leave nothing but footprints, with the aim to lower the amount of litter and reduce the amount of possible habitat destruction that could happen when people collect stuff. However, this could be having a negative effect on the younger generation as they aren’t interacting enough with nature: this is also known as nature deficit disorder.
