Big Seashell Survey

Join us on Saturday, 22 March 2025, for the 8th edition of the Big Seashell Survey. Help researchers gain a deeper understanding of the Belgian North Sea. 

Through this citizen science initiative, scientists gather valuable insights into the distribution of marine life, the impact of climate change on biodiversity, and the presence of non-native species.

The Netherlands and Northern France are also participating again this year. Together, we will explore differences in shell composition along more than 400 kilometers of North Sea coastline.

Focus 2025: The Cockle

This year, we spotlight the cockle, commonly known as the 'heart shell.' This ridged shell species lives shallowly in the seabed and consistently ranks in the top-5 of our counts. But did you know that there's much more to learn about this shell?

Discover how to:

• Determine the age of a cockle.
• Distinguish a recent cockle from a fossilized variety that lived thousands of years ago.
• Recognize the differences between the common cockle, the brackish water cockle, and the rarer Baltic cockle.

For more information and details visit www.groteschelpenteldag.be (Dutch).