Shell collecting and beachcombing are popular hobbies of Sandy Hook visitors. But did you know where those shells came from and what sand is?

What is a Shell? Shells were once a part of living sea creatures known as mollusks. Some common mollusks are snails and clams. When the mollusk dies, its shell is left behind and is often found washed up on the beach.

What is Sand? Sand is made up of tiny pieces of rocks and shells that were worn down by wave action. Depending on the location, sand can be made of different types of rocks and shells, creating different colors and textures.

Many things wash up on the beach that are not shells including egg cases such as mermaid purses and sand collars. Mermaid purses are the protective egg case of skates that contain a yolk, similar to that of a chicken egg for the young skate to use as a food source as it grows. Sand collars are formed when moon snails cement together their eggs with grains of sand.

Let's see some of the pictures we took on our field trip: