New research suggests oysters may rely on hidden microbes to help build their shells and maintain chemistry as oceans grow more acidic.

This article was originally featured on The Conversation. Wander through your backyard or walk along a stream and it’s likely you’ll see a snail – small, squishy animals with shells on their backs.

(Santa Barbara, Calif.) –– The fossil remains of some of the first animals with shells, ocean-dwelling creatures that measure a few centimeters in length and date to about 520 million years ago, ...