The 2026 Season Lecture Series presented by the Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum & Aquarium begins with a presentation on the extensive shell collection of The Florida Museum, one of the premier natural history museums in the Southeast.
The Florida Museum holds one of largest and best public and scientific collections of shells in the United States.
Dedication and Discovery: Building the Florida Museum Mollusk Collection, will be presented at the Museum on Thursday, January 15th at 5:30pm, by John Slapcinsky, Collections Manager of Malacology at The Florida Museum.
The talk shares the story of how this collection was built and is shared today, including pioneering collectors the McGinty brothers, who dredged extensively off the Florida coast and discovered new species; the legendary Harry G. Lee; and members of Florida’s shell clubs who collectively expanded geographic coverage, provided invaluable research, and helped form one of the most important shell and mollusk collections in the U.S.
“For anyone with an interest in shells, and the shells of Florida in particular, the story of the Florida Museum’s collection is a fascinating one,” said National Shell Museum Executive Director Sam Ankerson. “John’s longtime work in stewarding this collection lends unique insight into how major museum collections of natural history come to be.“
Cost to attend is $10 per person and is free for Museum Members. Registration is required and includes choice of wine, beer, non-alcoholic beverage, and light snacks. Register at ShellMuseum.org/learn-and-experience/lectures, where you can also view a free archive of previously recorded online lectures.
Future lectures in the 2026 Season Series include:
· February 12: A Decade of Conch-Servation Research to Protect Queen Conch, by Andrew Kough, Research Biologist, John G. Shedd Aquarium
· March 12: Designing and Opening the New Mote Science Education Aquarium, Evan Barniskis, Associate Vice President, Mote Aquarium
· April 8: The Future of Florida’s Coasts: What We Can Learn from the History of Tampa Bay, Evan Bennett, Professor of History, Florida Atlantic University
All lectures in the Museum’s 2026 Season Lecture Series will be held at Museum, located at 3075 Sanibel Captiva Road, Sanibel.
The 2026 Season Lecture Series is supported by the Sam and Francis Clean Water Education Center, Joan and Don Sherman, and Leslie Fleischner.
About the Museum: The Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum & Aquarium is a natural history museum and aquarium, and the only museum in the United States devoted primarily to shells and mollusks. Its mission is to educate and inspire an understanding of mollusks, their shells, and their habitats using exceptional experiences, collections, and science. Permanent exhibitions on view include the Great Hall of Shells which displays highlights of the Museum’s collection of more than 600,000 shells, as well as the Living Gallery of Aquariums and over 60 species of marine life. For more information, please visit ShellMuseum.org or call (239) 395-2233
