About us

Introduction

Founded in 1876 the Conchological Society of Great Britain and Ireland is one of the oldest existing societies devoted to the study of molluscs, and has an international membership.
Snails, slugs, sea slugs and most seashells are molluscs, as are octopus, squids, chitons (coat-of-mail shells), and limpets. So are bivalves, both freshwater and marine. Many of the marine bivalves are of commercial importance as a food source throughout the world, including clams, cockles, oysters, razor shells, scallops and mussels, and it is important that over-exploitation is avoided and that stocks are maintained.
The Society promotes the study of all molluscs in diverse ways through publications, field and indoor meetings and distributional recording schemes.
We publish papers in the peer reviewed Journal of Conchology on the shells, anatomy, ecology, distribution and nomenclature of British and worldwide molluscs.
The Society's members range from amateur shell collectors to professional malacologists and embraces all levels of expertise including novices.
Members of the Society receive the Journal of Conchology, usually published twice a year, and the magazine, Mollusc World, three times a year and other occasional papers.

The Society's objective is to promote the study of Mollusca in its widest aspects for the benefit of the public. It is a Registered Charity which anyone, anywhere may join.
The Society achieves its objective of promoting the study of molluscs and their conservation, through meetings, workshops, publications and distribution recording schemes.
Subject to the availability of funds the Society may make grants (maximum £1000 per grant) totalling up to £3000 in any one calendar year. The grants will be for projects promoting the objectives of the society.

The Conchological Society has had an involvement in biogeographical studies for over a century.
It maintains recording schemes for northeast Atlantic marine molluscs and British and Irish non-marine molluscs. The main objective of these schemes is to provide a detailed picture of the changing distribution of the fauna. The Society has published distribution Atlases for the British non-marine Mollusca and the British marine Mollusca.
The schemes provide data on the conservation status of molluscs and their habitats. Recording for the schemes is ongoing with the emphasis on promoting more detailed knowledge at a local level as well as some species specific projects aimed at getting more knowledge on their lifecycle and distributions.

Molluscan conservation is an important aspect of the Society's activities. The Society's Conservation Officer advises and liaises with other organisations on conservation and related matters and arranges assessments of threatened sites.

The Conchological Society runs a series of six lectures throughout the winter, usually at the Natural History Museum, London, and a varied programme of field meetings throughout the country in summer. The indoor meetings usually include an illustrated lecture and members’ exhibits, also a chance to meet other members.
Sites for field meetings often include areas managed by local and national conservation organisations where there are opportunities to examine terrestrial, freshwater and marine molluscs as well as fossils.
Workshops and special events, such as joint meetings with other Societies, are usually held annually but frequently more often.

The Society is governed by a Council consisting of the President, the Vice-Presidents, the Society's Officers and nine Ordinary Council Members. Ordinary Council Members are elected for a period of three years, and on the expiry of this term are not eligible for a further twelve months for re-election to the same position.
The Society's Officers consist of the General Secretary, Membership Secretary, Treasurer, Journal Editor, Recorder for Non-marine Mollusca, Recorder for Marine Mollusca, Editor of 'Mollusc World', Programme Secretary and Conservation Officer, all of whom are elected annually. All Officers are unpaid.