Shell museum announces speaker for next lecture
The Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum on Sanibel is continuing with its annual lecture series, which is offered virtually via Zoom and free of charge. The next lecture in the series will be:
– May 17 at 5:30 p.m.: “Micromollusks: The Allure of Small Size” with shell museum curator and Science Director Dr. José H. Leal
Welcome to the world of micromollusks. Did you know that as you walk on a sandy beach you may be stepping on hundreds of shells the size of a pinhead? Micromollusks, by definition, never grow larger than 5 millimeters (0.2 inches). Despite their small size, the shells of micromollusks can be as attractive as those of their larger-size cousins. Scientific surveys done in different regions of the planet indicate that the largest share of the marine biodiversity of mollusks consists of micromollusks. The program will present local and global examples, discuss methods for their sampling, study and photography, and discuss some of the biological constraints prompted by extreme reduction in body sizes.
Leal was the museum’s director between 1996 and 2013. He received his PhD in marine biology and fisheries from the University of Miami. His love for shells and sea life goes back to his childhood years in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Leal was an assistant editor for Sea Frontiers Magazine (Miami), a visiting professor at the Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle (Paris), and postdoctoral fellow at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History (Washington, D.C.). He holds honorary faculty positions at the University of Miami and Florida Gulf Coast University, where he is an affiliate member of the Coastal Watershed Institute. Leal is also a past president of the American Malacological Society and the Conchologists of America, past board member of the Florida Association of Museums, an accreditation peer reviewer for the American Alliance of Museums, and editor of The Nautilus.
Shell museum Executive Director Sam Ankerson will provide the introduction for the lecture, along with an update on the museum post-Hurricane Ian.
Advance registration is required.
For more information or to register, visit https://www.shellmuseum.org/online-lectures.
The Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum is at 3075 Sanibel-Captiva Road, Sanibel.
To reach BAILEY-MATTHEWS NATIONAL SHELL MUSEUM, please email