While they may look unexciting on the outside, abalone shells contain a thick inner layer of iridescent mother-of-pearl that has long driven humans to collect them and turn them into home decor ...

You may recognize it as mother of pearl, but it's just one of several shells that boast this iridescent display. Abalone are also a target species in aquaculture for their pearls, being one of the ...

Fisheries from Alaska to California once prized the pinto abalone for its edible foot and iridescent shell. Abalone populations were not sustainably harvested, and most fisheries crashed in the 1980s ...

The giant sea snails with iridescent shells are the most common of the eight abalone species found off the coast of California, but habitat degradation and the effects of climate change have decimated ...

He reached into cracks and peered into crevices with a flashlight, hoping to find an endangered marine snail whose shell recently has become California’s state seashell: the black abalone.

Seen in pieces like the Lillia Crystal Butterfly Gold Pendant Necklace, the Iridescent Abalone Shell is created by stripping the shell of much of its color, allowing its natural iridescence to ...

such as abalone and paua (New Zealand abalone), conchs, freshwater mussels, pen shells, and whelks. More interesting, perhaps ...

Abalone played a large role in coastal California Native American tribes' daily and ceremonial practices. Shells that show ancient human settlements trace back to 7,400 years ago. The iridescent ...

“Abalone Cove: Rearing, Research and Recovery” focuses on the aquarium’s efforts to raise the ocean snails that are endangered because of over-harvesting for their meat and iridescent shells.