Collecting seashells is a classic part of a beach vacation. But this seemingly innocent pastime can have serious environmental effects. Starting 30 years ago, a survey was made of the shells on Spain's Llarga Beach every month for three years. When researchers repeated the count just a few years ago, the number of shells was down by two-thirds compared with their former numbers. Urbanization or commercial fishing were the likely culprits, but the area experienced no significant increase in either. It did, however, see a threefold bump in tourism
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