Editing Seashell (section)

== Occurrence ==
Seashells are commonly found in beach drift, which is natural detritus deposited along strandlines on [[beach]]es by the [[wave]]s and the [[tide]]s. Shells are very often washed up onto a beach empty and clean, the animal having already died.

Empty seashells are often picked up by beachcombers. However, the majority of seashells which are offered for sale commercially have been collected alive (often in bulk) and then killed and cleaned, specifically for the commercial trade.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2018/07/wildlife-watch-seashells-illegal-trade-handicrafts/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180716171356/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2018/07/wildlife-watch-seashells-illegal-trade-handicrafts/|url-status=dead|archive-date=16 July 2018|title=Seashell Souvenirs Are Killing Protected Marine Life|date=16 July 2018|website=Animals|access-date=19 March 2019}}</ref> This type of large-scale exploitation can sometimes have a strong negative impact on local [[ecosystem]]s, and sometimes can significantly reduce the distribution of [[rare species]].