"We were finding old clam beds and seashells and stuff like that."

The clammers themselves have formed a management advisory board to come up with a plan to protect and manage the clam beds.

Today the once-thriving industry is all but forgotten even by area residents, though some work is being done on restoring the clam beds.

The shallow waters of the bay had once covered some of the richest clam beds in the country.

The findings were even more alarming because the samples came from specially selected areas of sandy bay bottom that are ideal for clam beds.

The many inlet coves around the island are home to abundant clam beds.

Often, a one-inch plastic mesh is laid over the clam bed to protect the little bivalves from predators.

As we walk on the beach, our footsteps force little gushers of water from the holes of clam beds.

They say it would also endanger clam beds.

The clam beds that crashed in the 1970's have not recovered.