1st post -- Questions about micro shells in beach sands

[srsilva]

Hello,

    I know almost nothing about seashells but in 1996 I visited Vanuatu where my father was stationed during WWII. While there I collected a bit of beach sand from several localities just as keepsakes.  When I got home and examined them under a binocular microscope I discovered quite a variety of tiny shells. The best came from south Tanna and the sand is fairly coarse, maybe 2-3mm average.   Among the shells a coworker pointed out for me some foraminifera and radiolaria but there were many more familiar looking forms as well.  I’ve thought about this sand over the years and I have several questions related to it.  I would be grateful for any answers that can be offered.

1.  Is there a common term or phrase used to refer to sand like this (with included shells), in other words, what might I use for search terms on the web?

2.  Are many of the little cones and other shells likely just juvenile forms of much larger animals or are they actually micro species?

3. Would the community of shells found in a particular sand be very representative of a particular part of the world? I’m sure there would be differences between tropical and arctic waters for instance but would one expect to see differences between oceans along the same latitudes or even differences between neighboring island groups or between islands in the same group?  Could an expert deduce approximately where a sand was from based on the community of shells?

4.  Can anyone recommend some introductory literature about micro-sized shells, preferably not too technical?  I would like to know a bit about their occurrence, lifestyles, and environments and be able to identify at least the most common species.  I have no practical use for this information other than I think it would be interesting and enjoyable.

5.  Are there people who collect sands like this specifically for the shells?  Is there anywhere I might purchase some shelly sands from various parts of the world?

Thanks much,
Steven