The place for shells is on the beach! Understand why they are so important for the environment

@curtonews Who has never gone to the beach, collected shells and taken them all home? Did you know that this attitude can harm the environment? 🐚 #CurtoNews ♬ original sound – Curto News

As shells have a substance – calcium carbonate (CaCO3) – which is vital for the maintenance of the entire marine ecosystem. They also serve as shelter for animals (such as molluscs and soft-bodied animals).

When the shellfish die, the shells they go to the bottom of the sea or to the sands of beaches. From there, they begin a demineralization process, which causes the CaCO3 to be returned to the ecosystem to be used by other animals or to help compose the beach sand itself.

That is, it is an entire fundamental cycle to contain the global warming.

Although forests are considered the lungs of the world, around 90% of the carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted by human activities — the main villain of the greenhouse effect and climate change — is absorbed by the oceans through marine organisms and living beings.

Oceans are warmer than ever, analysis shows

Last year, the world's oceans recorded the hottest temperatures. This finding is further proof of the profound and widespread changes that man-made emissions are causing to the planet's climate – as we know that 90% of the heat caused by global warming goes to the oceans.

Therefore, the shells They are also important against climate change, as they participate – indirectly – in the process of CO2 sequestration by marine environments.

But is collecting shells a crime? 🤔

In several countries, such as France, Italy and some regions of the United States, Collecting shells with live molluscs is grounds for fines or even imprisonment. 😮

In Brazil, the Ministry of the Environment determines that trade and crafts with corals are prohibited by the Environmental Crime Law (Article 33 of Law No. 9605/98), with a sentence of one to three years in prison.

However, regarding the shells The folder only advises that you should not collect them and take them home, nor buy crafts made from these elements.

Now imagine the size of the environmental imbalance that could be caused if everyone wanted to take a single shell home from the beach? 😖

Instead of removing shells from their habitat, take a photo of the landscape and take home a souvenir that won't harm our environment! 💙

Worth watching ⤵️

Curto curation:

• Leave shells by the sea or risk damaging the ecosystem, study says (The Guardian*)
• Collecting shells, taking a dog, feeding fish: what not to do in beach tourism (BBC Brazil)

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