Testing the waters

Volunteers collect cockles, clams and other bivalves from a beach south of Shoemaker Bay Monday morning as part of Wrangell Cooperative Association's Indian Environmental General Assistance Program shellfish testing project. Samples collected from four sites will be sent to a Washington laboratory for testing, to determine whether and to what extent local shellfish contain harmful contaminants. Data generated by the project is expected to be available next month and will be used to educate the community on local shellfish safety.