Expeditions
In the Southwest of England, the ectoparasitic snail, Simnia hiscocki Lorenz & Melaun 2008, was identified as an indicator for climate change, as it lives on the coral Eunicella verrucosa, which is sensitive to warming waters. Interestingly, the rather conspicuous and moderately common species of Spindle-cowry (Ovulidae) had never been recognized by taxonomists and had to be given a name before further studies could be conducted.
The Foundation aims at also supporting studies that use seashells, e.g. the shells of cowries, as bio-indicators for habitat disturbances. Also, the sampling of shells in a confined area conducted over consecutive time-points can give insights to if and how the conditions in a habitat are changing. The Foundation is currently working on a research program providing an outline for such studies. For this goal, we are conducting or supporting expeditions to selected localities all over the world in order to collect data needed for this task. The result of such trips serves all four of our Foundation's goals: Posterity, Education, Research, and Conservation.