Resources

sea glass beach glass seashells beach fossils rock collecting beach art coastal decor

Beachcombing Resources

Want to learn more about the treasures you find on the beach? We have a huge number of articles from past issues of Beachcombing Magazine here on the website. Click on Search and type in your query and we may have the information you've been looking for. We add more articles from the magazine to the website every week. For more information, check out some of these other online and printed beachcombing resources.

Beachcombing Books

There's plenty of information online about many aspects of beachcombing, but if you prefer having a reference book on hand, please check out the following lists for some of our favorite beachcombing books:

Sea Glass and Beach Glass

One of the most popular beach-found treasure is glass that has been tumbled in the waves until the edges are smooth and worn. Learn more about beaches where you can find sea glass, the sources of beach glass, and more about collecting and creating with these beach gems.

  • International Sea Glass Association: A community of informed collectors and sellers of sea glass that are educated on the characteristics and significance of genuine sea glass.
  • Sea Glass Journal: Past articles about sea glass collectors, sea glass locations and sea glass hunting.
  • Odyssey Sea Glass: About sea glass, finding a beach, collecting and sorting, arts and crafts, photos and videos, and more.
  • Dr. Beachcomb: Beachcombing, sea glass, and coastal science sites
  • Sea Glass Lingo: A comprehensive list of terms beach glass collectors might come across.
  • Categories of Beach Glass: Different sources of sea and beach glass.

Seashells

Shell Clubs

  • Broward Shell Club: Non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of the studies of malacology and conchology, education, conservation, and preservation of mollusks.
  • Jacksonville Shell Club: Non-profit educational organization focused on seashell collectors around Duval County but open to everyone.
  • Jersey Cape Shell Club: Exploring the study, conservation, history, and science of seashells, mollusks, and other marine life; encouraging collecting, exhibiting, and crafting with shells.
  • North Carolina Shell Club: A friendly and enthusiastic organization where  beginners to professionals can share knowledge and information about shells.
  • San Diego Shell Club: Non-profit dedicated to enjoying and promoting the study and conservation of Mollusca, and associated marine life, for beginning collectors, amateurs, scientists, divers, underwater photographers, and dealers.
  • Sanibel-Captiva Shell Club: Promoting the study of mollusks and the shells they create
  • Sarasota Shell Club: Bringing together shell lovers in Sarasota, Manatee, and Charlotte Counties to enjoy and share their interest in or love of shells and mollusks.

Shell Collecting

  • The Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum: Museum featuring mollusks from around the world, including art and history, shell habitat, rare specimens, fossil shells, common Southwest Florida shells, and more.
  • Conchologists of America: International organization for those interested in shells and mollusks, including studying, collecting, and conservation.
  • Conchology: The Art and Science of Nature: The hobby and science of conchology for anyone interested in the beauty and diversity of sea and land shells.
  • I Love Shelling: Guide on how and where to collect seashells, conch shells, and sand dollars on Sanibel, Captiva, and much of Southwest Florida.
  • Seashell Collector: Articles about seashells by collectors, for collectors.
  • Seashells.org: Information about seashells, beachcombing, cleaning seashells, and identifying seashells.

Information about seashells

Fossils

Many of today's beaches were once in the middle of ancient seas, and the animals and plants found there can still be found as fossils. 

Information about fossils:

Bottles

If you are lucky enough to find a piece of beach glass that has some writing on it, you may be able to find out where it came from! Check out some of our favorite places for looking up the letters, numbers, and logos on your sea glass finds:

Marbles

For many beachcombers, finding a marble is at the top of their bucket list. You can find lots of help identifying what you've found through these online resources.

Sea Pottery

Ceramic tableware, serving pieces, vases, and more have been made all around the world throughout history. We still find worn pieces of sea pottery on beaches today. Though plenty of pottery was made in England, Europe, and North America, Scotland specialized in creating pottery for export, so many of the pieces of sea pottery found on beaches today originated from Scotland, part of the extensive global ceramic trade. For help identifying your beach pottery, check out some of the following books* about the worldwide and Scottish pottery industries, makers marks, and common patterns of pottery:

* Thanks to Nicole and Craig from Scottish Mudlarking for their book recommendations!

Mudlarking

Mudlarking on the Thames Foreshore requires a permit. Learn about rules for mudlarking in London ›

beachcombing and cultural retreats

We'd love to hear about other resources and communities that we should include on this list. Please contact us with your recommendations on websites, books, and other places to find information on beachcombing and connect with fellow beachcombers.

As a member of the International Sea Glass Association, we are committed to educating collectors, consumers, and retailers as to the properties and benefits of genuine, pure, unaltered sea and beach glass. As a member of the Sanibel-Captiva Shell Club we promote the study of mollusks and the shells they create. We have a no-live-shelling policy: Please be sure shells are empty and sand dollars, sea stars, and sea urchins are no longer alive before you bring them home, and please don't use or sell shells harvested from live animals, including live sand dollars, sea stars, and sea urchins.

Quick note:  We sometimes provide links on the Beachcombing website to make it easy to find or purchase products, some of which are on Amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate, we may earn from qualifying purchases made when you click and make purchases on Amazon, but please feel free to purchase items wherever it works best for you.