Coastwatch Magazine: Science, News, Resources

The Art and Science of Weather

Accounting for Extremes — And More

Constant fluctuation is part of coastal life. To work and recreate safely, we need to be able to predict the weather…

image: atop the Currituck Light, ocean panoramic.

Keeper of the Light

“We all reach that point where we think, ‘What can I do on this planet?’”

Until the lighthouse came into service on December 1, 1875, Currituck Beach was the last “dark space” to be illuminated on the East Coast…

Coast to Coast

Community Engaged Internships

North Carolina Sea Grant has led a national effort that matches passionate undergraduate students with the needs of coastal and Great Lakes states…

image: A North Atlantic right whale generated by A.I.

Deepfake Whales Could Be Key Conservation Tool

AI-Generated Images of Rare Species

Hyper-realistic deepfake images are notorious for celebrity pranking, but the technology has serious scientific applications, too…

Green Solutions at Biltmore Hills Park

Reducing Stormwater Runoff for Rochester Heights Creek

“You lay awake and you think, Lord, when it storms, is that creek going to feed back up and be worse this time?”

Snake-Hunting One Summer

“His purpose was not simply to catch snakes — he was trying to extend the range of some snake or another to the west of its known range in that part of the world, and to do so for The North Carolina Museum of Natural History.”

Killer Whales Swim NC Waters

How Our Orcas Are Different

Sightings of orcas are extremely rare, and most occur in two seasons of the year…

Hook, Line & Science

Venting Deepwater Fish — and More

Reef fish caught in deeper waters may not survive catch and release because of pressure trauma from surfacing too quickly…

Rip Currents Safety

Spread the word. Share this poster — and save a life.

Rip currents can sweep even powerful swimmers away from shore…

image: Colorful Oil Sheen Reflecting in Water Near a Storm Drain on a Rainy Day in an Urban Environment.

The Guide to Coastal Living

From Streets to Sea: Addressing Stormwater Runoff

Stormwater runoff is a big issue for coastal communities that rely on healthy waters for fishing, recreation, tourism, and drinking supplies…

Currents

News and Research

New projects on sharks, crabs, HABs, run-off, radon, resilience, real-time tech for stormwater ponds, land-based sensors for coastal flooding, and more…

image: Hurricane Florence over the Atlantics close to the US coast . Gaping eye of a category 4 hurricane. Elements of this image furnished by NASA.

From the Executive Director

Fall 2025: Storms, Science, and Serving North Carolina

What an amazing community we have, from the mountains to the sea, providing strength and support for North Carolina Sea Grant…

Why Are Bonnethead Sharks on the Move?

What 44 Sharks from the North Edisto River Can Tell Us

Water temperatures may hold the answer…

Will North Carolina’s Blue Crabs Go Extinct?

The Future of the State’s Most Valuable Commercial Fishery

Environmental stressors may push blue crab populations to their breaking point…

Turtle Road

Coastal NC Turtles — and More — from Bland Simpson

“He had just tried to get a snapper off of Old Greensboro Highway with a stick and his bare hands and arms, and that beast had bitten and slashed him till he looked as if he had been in a knife fight…”

A New World for Microbes

Investigating the Plastisphere

Former Sea Grant fellow Austin Gray is exploring what happens when microbes meet microplastics…

PFAS, Arsenic, and Trade-Offs

North Carolina’s Deeper Well Solution

“Comparatively, a bedrock well is the most cost-effective option…”

Flooding, Hurricanes, and Community Perspectives

Carteret County and Ocracoke, North Carolina

“If you’re really trying to make change in a place, you have to know the people. Otherwise, it’s just not going to work…”

image: The view from the ruins of the old lighthouse (built in 1875) at Cape Three Points, Ghana. Credit: Friedmut Abel/Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0.

Across the Atlantic

Marine Protected Areas: Ghana’s Dance with Conservation Efforts

Funding cuts, policy delays, and climate pressures threaten to derail Ghana’s first marine protected area, putting livelihoods and biodiversity at risk…