Materials researchers love sea creatures. Mother-of-pearl provokes ideas for smooth surfaces, clams inspire gluey substances, shark's skin is used to develop materials that reduce drag in water, and ...

New research suggests oysters may rely on hidden microbes to help build their shells and maintain chemistry as oceans grow more acidic.

The reason why seashells are tough and lobster claws hard to break, is because of the presence of biological matter situated between the calcium carbonate crystals. These clumps are situated between ...

Over 7 million tons of mollusc shells are discarded by the seafood industry each year as unwanted waste -- and the vast majority of these shells are either thrown in landfills or dumped at sea.