Photographer Devon Matthews Captures the Enchanting World of Seashells and Their Mollusk Creators
Devon Matthews, a wildlife photographer, journeyed from Minnesota to Sanibel Island, Florida, to photograph seashells and mollusks for the September/October 2026 edition of Smithsonian magazine. His stunning images feature species such as the Florida horse conch and the giant Atlantic cockle. José Leal, the science director at the Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum, notes that mollusks create shells by absorbing calcium and carbon. The article explores the evolution of mollusks over the past 500 million years, their varied shapes, and Suzanne Williams' research on color production at the Natural History Museum in London. It highlights the need to protect living mollusks, as Sanibel Island is home to over 400 shell species and faces challenges like ocean acidification and illegal collection.
Key facts
- Photographer Devon Matthews traveled from Minnesota to Sanibel Island, Florida, to photograph seashells and mollusks.
- The photos are featured in Smithsonian magazine's September/October 2026 issue.
- José Leal is the science director and curator at the Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum on Sanibel Island.
- Mollusks have existed for 500 million years, evolving from simple caps and coils to diverse forms like scallops, conchs, and nautiluses.
- Shells are more than 95% calcium carbonate, with the remainder being protein and chitin.
- Suzanne Williams at the Natural History Museum in London studies shell pigments, including porphyrins, melanins, and carotenoids.
- Sanibel Island hosts more than 400 shell species on its 15 miles of beaches.
- Collecting live mollusks is illegal on Sanibel Island.
- Ocean acidification makes it harder for mollusks to form and maintain their shells.
- Leal spent two years as a postdoctoral fellow at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History in the mid-1990s.
Entities
Artists
- Devon Matthews
Institutions
- Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum
- Natural History Museum in London
- Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History
- Smithsonian magazine
- International League of Conservation Photographers (ILCP)
Locations
- Fort Myers, Florida
- Sanibel Island, Florida
- Florida
- North Carolina
- Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula
- Rio de Janeiro
- Minneapolis, Minnesota