shell beaches
Mollusk-fragment covered shores
Shell beaches are coastal shorelines composed primarily of accumulated shells and shell fragments rather than sand or rock.
These beaches form where mollusks are abundant and wave action breaks down their shells over time.
Some shell beaches contain intact shells; others consist of finely crushed shell material that resembles coarse white sand.
The shell beaches of Western Australia stretch for miles.
- calcium carbonateMineral in shells and marble
- beachcombingSearching shores for flotsam
- shark teethMarine predator's bite tools
- sand dollarsFlat burrowing marine animals
- sea glassWave-worn bottle shards
white sand · natural beauty · shorebirds · coastal erosion · sedimentation · wave action · crustaceans · tourism · hermit crabs · artisanal crafts · coquina · erosion · habitat loss · sea level rise · coastal ecosystem · tide pools · low tide · middens
shell beachessand beaches
Coastal areas with granular sediment
sandy beaches · pebble beaches · rocky beaches · rocky shores · mud flats
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