Operculum

OK boys and girls here is a new term you may not yet be familiar with. The operculum (little lid)is the covering over the shell of certain marine snails. When the snail dies and decomposes, the operculum remains and is washed up on the beach.

I found my first one today...you can see it below amid the beans. These were all found on the pedestrian beach right in front of the visitor center.

You will also note a black bone fragment on the right side of the picture.

I haven't identified this one yet but it has some uniusual striations that should make it recognizable to someone familiar with such things.

This is the drawer display at the Matagorda Bay Nature center. The beans are mounted on strings and can be slid along th show how they drift from where they originate to our beach.

I'm continuing to work as a volunteer at the center to help visitors learn about sea beans.