Shells are created by (and attached to) soft-bodied mollusks like clams, scallops, oysters, sea snails. The mollusk absorbs minerals from the ocean, then secretes layers of calcium carbonate with proteins to build its shell bigger and stronger as it grows. The shell is what protects the mollusk. When the mollusk dies, the empty shell is left behind and will no longer grow. #seashells #lightningwhelk | Let's Go Shelling