NC Sea Grant Remembers B.J. Copeland
For immediate release
B.J. Copeland, a leader in North Carolina’s marine science and coastal management, passed away on January 14, 2026. He served North Carolina Sea Grant as its director from 1973 until 1996.
Copeland grew up on his family’s farm in Mannsville, Oklahoma, where he developed a lifelong love of nature, leading him to earn his doctorate in limnology from Oklahoma State University.
Copeland became NC Sea Grant’s first director in 1973 and carried the program through over two decades of growth and development. In that time, he worked hard for NC Sea Grant to receive full Sea Grant College Program designation – based on a record of excellence in research, extension and communication – in the minimum time, just three years. And he was successful: In July 1976, the program received full program status.
In 1980, when Sea Grant was eliminated from the federal budget, he spent many days in Washington working to prove Sea Grant’s worth: “You can’t argue with priorities when they are to improve the quality of life and enhance economic opportunities. That’s what Sea Grant is all about,” Copeland once said.
And this task did not prove too hard for him. In a 2001 Coastwatch piece commemorating NC Sea Grant’s 25th Anniversary, Walton Jones – former vice chancellor at NC State and former vice president of research and public service for the UNC system – lauded Copeland’s ability to connect with the public: “He’s not only a good scientist, he is a good people person. He could talk to the fishermen. He could talk to the scientists. He could talk to the budget folks at the legislature.”
Barbara Doll, NC Sea Grant’s water protection and restoration specialist, remembers Copeland as a great mentor, crediting him with helping shape her early career at Sea Grant. “I was one of the first Water Quality Specialists hired in the Sea Grant program nationwide,” says Doll. “Fresh out of graduate school from finishing my master’s degree, I had little experience and exposure. Because of his extensive expertise in water quality, BJ was a key mentor to me, introducing me to many scientists and water quality managers.”
After over twenty years with NC Sea Grant, Copeland worked as a graduate administrator and taught courses in NC State’s zoology department until fully retiring in 2002.
“B.J. always had great stories to tell about his time with NC Sea Grant, the challenges of federal funding support ebbing and flowing, the great characters of each of the team members, and his enjoyment of his time with the program,” says Susan White, NC Sea Grant’s executive director. “B.J. joined us for retirement parties and program reviews throughout the past decade, keeping his finger on the pulse. His practical advice, and huge laughs, were wonderful to to be on the receiving end of.”
On behalf of North Carolina Sea Grant, we hope his family and friends find comfort and peace in the legacy he has left with us.
Read about Copeland’s life and achievements in his obituary
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you consider making a memorial donation in support of the Boys & Girls Homes of North Carolina in Lake Waccamaw at https://boysandgirlshomes.org/donate.html or Pleasant Hill United Methodist Church in Pittsboro.
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