Natascha and her children participated in the sixth edition of the initiative, drawing a large spiral on the beach and collecting shells within it, which were then sorted, counted, and recorded by volunteers. Laurence Virolée, who came with her children, believes it’s essential to teach children regarding climate and biodiversity. Nearly 800 people participated in the shellfish count in Belgium, the Netherlands, and France, with approximately 38,000 shells counted. The Flemish Marine Institute organized the event and considers shells a good indicator of North Sea biodiversity health. The retired biologist Joris Hooze explained that climate change is causing warm-water predators to appear on the Northern coast. The European Union has pledged more than 800 million Euros to protect oceans by 2030. The shell count initiative aims to raise awareness among the public, and this year, scientists focused on determining the number of predatory snails threatening seashells.
For this sixth edition, Natascha and her children draw a large spiral in the sand. Armed with plastic buckets, they scoop up the shells inside their drawing before bringing them back to the edge of the beach, where they are carefully sorted by volunteers, then counted and recorded by species.
“We have to collect all the shells that are not broken,” explains Natascha Perales, 40, who is taking part in this initiative for the first time. “We found mussels, oysters, cockles… At least six different species. It’s a great activity despite the weather,” she smiles.
The gusts of wind did not discourage the ten participants who take turns at the stand in Middelkerke (northern Belgium). Laurence Virolée, 41, came with her three children: “We learned a lot. Last year, we had already participated in a beach clean-up day. It is important for children to see the evolution of biodiversity and to make them aware of climate facts”.
About 800 shellfish counters took part in the operation, which took place simultaneously in Belgium, the Netherlands and, for the first time, in France.
Exotic species
In total, some 38,000 shells were counted, roughly the same number as in 2022.
“Shells are a good indicator of the state of biodiversity in the North Sea,” explains Jan Seys of the Flemish Marine Institute (VLIZ), organizer of the annual event.
“Last year, 15% of the shells found belonged to exotic species” – particularly watched by scientists who fear that they are invasive. “For example, we have seen American species appear on our coasts”, such as the American knife, explains Jan Seys.
At the edge of the beach, Joris Hooze, 75, invites participants to observe molluscs under a microscope and learn to distinguish their particularities.
“It’s a sign of climate change”
A retired biologist, he is part of a Belgian association dedicated to the observation of marine biology. “Organisms that normally live in warm waters have been observed to appear more and more on the coast,” he explains. For him, “it is a sign of climate change”.
The European Union pledged at the beginning of March to devote more than 800 million euros to the protection of the oceans.
“Europe wants to restore our oceans by 2030. If we want to achieve this goal, we need the public. And this type of initiative makes it possible to raise public awareness of these issues”, comments Jan Seys.
This year, the holey shells of seashells were the focus of attention for scientists who want to determine how many predatory snails threaten seashells.
The annual shellfish count in the North Sea is a crucial event for scientists studying the state of biodiversity in the region. This year, the count had participation from Belgium, the Netherlands, and France, with around 800 shellfish counters taking part. While the number of shells counted remained similar to that of the previous year, scientists are keeping a close eye on the presence of exotic species that may be invasive. The event allows the public to observe marine biology and raise awareness of climate change and ocean protection. With the European Union’s commitment to protect the oceans, such initiatives are crucial in achieving this goal.
