We are actively pursuing research examining age-size relationships and growth patterns for a variety of native and non-native coastal and estuarine species. This research relies on field collections of wild material from a variety of habitats as well as experimental work with wild and cultured animals in our laboratory. As bivalves grow, they deposit internal signatures within their shells that are preserved through time much like the concentric growth rings made by trees. These internal shell signatures, like the analogous tree rings, are used for bivalve age and growth rate examination. Bivalves are essentially environmental data recorders for coastal and marine habitats. We seek to understand and apply the stories contained within these shells in the context of population and community level ecological processes.