Science & News

Accounting for the Unaccounted

Thousands Hoped for Any Word of Family and Friends After Helene

Volunteer operators for a Community Emergency Response Team updated a database that provided responders with GPS coordinates to check as they searched mountains, valleys, and riversides…

Teachers on the Tower (video)

Frying Pan Tower: A Platform for Educators

What better way to give educators more tools to teach about the ocean than to take them out into the Graveyard of the Atlantic?

A Booming Industry — And a New Threat

North Carolina Oysters Face Unexplained “Mass Mortality Events”

A cutting-edge project is addressing “the biggest hindrance to sustainable oyster aquaculture development in the Southeast.”

Early Warnings

Satellite Imagery May Help Protect Coastal Forests from Climate Change

A former North Carolina Sea Grant-Space Grant Fellow is pioneering a new method that will inform conservation planning...

image: Coastal Conference participants mingle.

The 2024 NC Coastal Conference in Review

A Look Back at the Biggest NC Sea Grant Gathering to Date

The 2024 North Carolina Coastal Conference in November brought together over 330 coastal enthusiasts…

Managing Coastal Nitrogen Pollution

Lessons from New Bern

Engineered solutions help to maintain coastal resilience and protect local economies…

Environmental Sentinels

Microplastics and Metals in Oysters

“Our goal is to provide scientific data in context that can aid decision-making and dispel misinformation.”

Mind the Gap

Findings from the UN’s 2024 Emissions Gap Report

As emissions reach all-time highs, far more stringent goals are necessary to keep global warming under a threshold that would make heightened climate impacts unstoppable…

Hook, Line & Science

Anglers vs. River Otters, Why We Fish Where We Do, and More

Here’s the the latest science and news for anglers…

Vital Signs: New Sea Level Rise Projections for North Carolina

The NC Coastal Resources Commission Science Panel’s Report

A new report predicts marked sea level rise on the northern, central, and southern NC coast by 2050 and 2100…

The Guide to Coastal Living

From Shore to Shady Spots: Plants That Thrive on Our Coast

Eco-friendly native plants and smart gardening practices can help to create healthy and beautiful coastal landscapes…

image: fishers near Figure Eight Island.

Public Trust

Bland Simpson Recounts “A Fisherman Challenged at Rich Inlet”

“If you don’t let us fish in peace, the Attorney General’s office and the News & Observer will soon learn there is a private North Carolina ocean beach not open to the public.”

image: Sauteed Tuna Steaks with Tarragon.

Mariner’s Menu: Winter Wonders

Sautéed Tuna Steaks with Tarragon, Baked Clams with Garlic Butter, and Oyster Fritters

Enjoy these seasonal favorites from North Carolina Sea Grant’s popular online seafood guide…

image: Kayelyn Simmons, former Knauss fellow, scuba-diving.

Coastal Currents

News and Opportunities from North Carolina Sea Grant

Two open fellowships, a new paid apprenticeship in the commercial seafood industry, a look ahead at an ocean acidification education project, and more…

image: Coastwatch cover of Fabien Cousteau juxtaposed against an underwater seascape.

FALL 2024

The Catastrophic Power of Hurricane Helene

North Carolina’s New History of Record-Breaking Storms

Only six years separate Florence and Helene, but these “once-in-a-thousand-year” hurricanes have much in common. Along with other storms that have hit our state, Helene offers lessons — and a warning…

The Undersea Vision of Fabien Cousteau

Building the “ISS of the Ocean”

PROTEUS™ — the undersea equivalent of the International Space Station — will speed scientific discovery and may even spur medical breakthroughs…

image: Coast Guard rescues people, pets near Riegelwood, N.C.

The Guide to Coastal Living

Storm Readiness and Recovery Basics

Here’s practical information for you and your community during and after a major storm…

Tracking Loggerheads

The Mysteries of Sea Turtle Migration

Satellite tagging on Bald Head Island reveals that loggerheads cover long distances up and down the East Coast — and beyond…

image: house damage, Atlantic Beach after Hazel.

Hurricane Hazel

October 15th, 1954

“She had torn the south-facing beaches of Brunswick County all to hell and gone, wrecking the crab-and-fish houses and putting great schooners up into yards in Southport, and thrown fishing boats onto main streets in Morehead City and Beaufort.”

Mapping the Impacts of North Carolina’s Poultry Industry

A Novel Solution to a Lack of Public Data

How do concentrated animal feeding operations and their waste impact our state’s waterways?

image: high school student collecting trash.

Plastic from the Mountains to the Sea

Researchers and Community Members Join Forces on Plastic Pollution in North Carolina

From plastic trash along creeks and rivers, to microplastics in waterways — and in our bloodstreams — plastic pollution is present on every continent, including Antarctica…

Hook, Line & Science

Shrinking Fish, Saving Manta Rays, and More

Scientists discover a global phenomenon — shrinking fish — but the reasons behind it aren’t clear cut…

Coastwatch Classroom

NC Stream Watch’s Indoor-Outdoor Classrooms

“We have goals to raise awareness about natural resource careers earlier, rather than waiting until people are in college — trying to spark those little nuggets of this is a possibility early on.”

Mariner’s Menu

For Autumn Appetites

Here’s what to make this Fall — with videos about how to make it…

Coastal Currents

News and Research Updates

New fellows, new hires, and exciting new projects…

The Contamination of Indigenous Lands

BONUS CONTENT FROM THE SUMMER 2024 ISSUE

Health issues are becoming more frequent for “The People of the Falling Star.” The answers may lie at their feet…

SUMMER 2024

North Carolina’s True Ghost Story

A Tale of Carbon, Salt, and Sea Level Rise

A new study is using satellite imagery to predict the next ghost forests...

Soul of the Soil

The Contamination of Indigenous Lands

Health issues are becoming more frequent among the Waccamaw Siouan Tribe. The answers may lie at their feet…

Catching up with John Mallette

The Untold Stories of African Americans in North Carolina’s Seafood Industry

“As long as I was around a boat and I was on the water, I really didn’t care about anything else.”

Ancient Oyster Fisheries

Old Practices and What They Reveal

Indigenous peoples sustained massive oyster fisheries for 5,000 to 10,000 years — or longer…

Seashells of North Carolina

Excerpts from the Updated and Expanded New Edition

Beachcombers and researchers alike have revered the original publication for decades. North Carolina Sea Grant and UNC Press have just released the latest edition…

Hook, Line & Science

The Award-Winning Series for Anglers

Saving the red snapper, angling around windmills, and the night life of oyster toadfish…

The Guide to Coastal Living

Bulkheads: Challenges and Tips

Bulkheads sometimes are cheaper to install, but the long-term costs of maintenance can be steep…

1,000 More Miles

New Fish Passage Facilities Restore Access to NC Habitat

Updates at the Blewett Falls Hydroelectric Project now allow American eel and other fish to access previously blocked upstream riverine habitat…

How Climate Change Affects Your Health

Infographics on Air Quality and Heat Waves

Global warming impacts human health, especially during summertime…

Rip Currents Safety

Know Your Options

Over a million people have seen this poster in 2024. Share it and save a life…

Vital Signs: Caribbean Creep

Warming Waters and the Spread of New Species

More species are moving into the Mid-Atlantic…

Safety Alert: Hurricane Season Is Here

Tips, Tools, and Resources

New guidance from NOAA advises people not to focus on a specific storm category. A storm’s “scale” only reflects the strongest winds near the center of the storm — not potentially life-threatening flooding from storm surge or rain…

Special Announcement: The NC Coastal Conference Returns to the Coast

Registration is now open.

This year’s conference will again feature a wide array of presentations that address pressing issues for our state’s coastal communities and ecosystems…

Mariner’s Menu

New Cooking Videos

Here’s what to make — and how to make it.

image: aerial view of marsh and seashore.

Letter from the Executive Director

The Latest Updates from North Carolina Sea Grant

June marked the start of another hurricane season, and NOAA has projected above-normal Atlantic hurricane activity through November 30th…

image: man lays next to largest "sea dragon" fossil discovered.

Creature Feature: Conan O’Brien Worms, Sea Dragons, and Ocean Aliens

BONUS CONTENT from the SPRING 2024 issue

Recent research proves the ocean contains no shortage of curiosities…

SPRING 2024

Ice to Ocean

As glaciers melt and seas rise, new findings about ground elevations at the coast confirm that the battle between land and sea has become increasingly one-sided — and that an ecological transformation of coastal NC has begun.

image: blue land crab emerging from hole.

What’s the Deal with that Big Blue Crab on the Beach?

A new species has arrived in North Carolina — and you might even find one in your garage.

Can Fish Bones Protect Us from the Sun?

Researchers investigate a sustainable alternative to harmful UV filters in sunscreens.

image: graphic of a magnifying glass over water with bubbles that say "PFAS".

Emerging Contaminants: Mystery in the Cape Fear

New testing reveals eight previously unrecorded forms of PFAS

Are Fishing and Boating Regulations Protecting Endangered Whales?

The North Atlantic right whale is a critically endangered species, with fewer than 400 estimated alive today. Two leading causes of right whale mortality are fishing gear and vessels.

image: flooded residential street at sunset.

Sunny with a Chance of Floods

When people see photos of Carolina Beach’s flooded Canal Drive, they might assume those waters lapping against the doorways of a residential neighborhood mean the area had just experienced a severe storm or hurricane. Locals know, however, it is just as likely the deluge was not related to a storm at all but rather an example of “nuisance” flooding.

image: bow of a sailboat heads towards a cloudy horizon.

The Straits by Skipjack

From the short dock along Lida Pigott’s cut in Gloucester off the north side of The Straits, on as blustery a Sunday summer afternoon as one might want, the 28-foot skipjack Natty Lou headed out, her mainsail reefed.

Creature Feature: Conan O’Brien Worms, Sea Dragons, and Ocean Aliens

Recent research from the Caribbean to the U.K. to Antarctica proves the ocean contains no shortage of curiosities.

image: factory smokestacks release smoke into the air during sunset.

Vital Signs: Greenhouse Gas Emissions Hit Highest Levels

50 Leading Scientists on “Unprecedented” Human-Caused Global Warming

image: aerial view of a living shoreline.

The Guide to Coastal Living

The Guide to Coastal Living provides North Carolinians with quick information about how to address coastal hazards and how to live in a coastal environment. The series launches with this look at living shorelines — a strategy that provides invaluable benefits to our communities and coast.

The Rip Currents Safety Poster

Share this poster. Print it out and put it up — and save a life.

image: offshore wind turbines in front of a sunset.

Hook, Line & Science

Fishing at Wind Farms, Live Imaging Sonar, and More…

Warming Waters

50-year Trend in Atlantic Hurricane Escalation

New research shows changes to Atlantic hurricanes over the past 50 years, with storms developing and strengthening faster…

Coastwatch Classroom

The Impact of Sea Level Rise on Tidal Marshes

This lesson plan for high school students includes an interactive slideshow, map, worksheets, and more…

image: crab and shrimp salad on lettuce bed.

Mariner’s Menu

Crab and Shrimp Salad, Fresh Deviled Clams, Broiled Soft Crabs with Basil-Butter Sauce, and Baked Grouper Fillets with Mushrooms…

Ancient Oyster Fisheries

A Sneak Peek at the Summer 2024 issue

Indigenous peoples sustained massive oyster fisheries for 5,000 to 10,000 years — or longer…

WINTER 2024

Shifting Shores

Coastal hazards, such as hurricanes and sea level rise, continue to increase with climate change — and shoreline modifications, dredging, and boating wakes can exacerbate erosion and property damage.

Degrees of Change: Why Water Temperatures Matter

Estuaries are transition zones where land meets water, ocean meets rivers, and saltwater meets fresh. Climate change and shifting water temperatures are among the most pressing considerations for ecosystem resiliency, and estuaries are no exception.

image: Gulf of Guinea rescue operations.

Climate & Society: Is Climate Change Creating More Pirates?

Dwindling fish populations from warming waters could increase maritime crime.

Vital Signs: Seven More Feet?

Projections show that U.S. sea levels will increase the most along the East Coast and Gulf Coast — and that a failure to curb emissions could raise waters up to seven feet by the end of the century.

Crossing the Mighty Neuse

“That boat’ll take more than you will!” — Cap’n Jim Rumfelt

image: the original Chicamacomico lifesaving station.

Treasures of Chicamacomico

Mention shipwrecks and treasures along the North Carolina coast, and most folks think of gold coins or ships’ cannons. But near Rodanthe, one treasure has more to do with the lives saved in shipwrecks off Cape Hatteras…

Sixty Miles Off-Shore

A Sea Grant fellow shares his experience aboard a science vessel — deploying traps, analyzing fish, and acclimating to life on the Atlantic.

image: Green sea turtle. Credit: Ali Bayless / NOAA Fisheries.

Are We Accidentally Catching More Sea Turtles Than We Thought?

A new model shows when and why turtles along the Southeast coast are at risk.

Bridging the Digital Divide

A collaborative research team led by Duke University’s Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment & Sustainability is working to lessen the digital divide for small rural water utilities and helping them fulfill reporting requirements.

image: oyster toadfish. Credit: Allison Scott/NOAA.

Hook, Line & Science: Are Fish Noisier Today Than They Used to Be?

Using a new acoustic recording device, a research team captured the underwater soundscape and compared it to recordings that the U.S. Navy made decades ago.

Ecosystems Solutions

Reducing the Nutrient Load: How an Alternative Method of Wastewater Treatment Could Help the Tar-Pamlico Recover

Behind the Business

Perspectives from a Seafood Insider

image: Broiled Striped Bass with Mediterranean Spice Rub.

Mariner’s Menu

Featuring Parmesan Clams, Broiled Striped Bass with Mediterranean Spice Rub, Fried Shrimp and more…

Letter from the Executive Director

In 1998, Katie Mosher began what would become a 25-year commitment to Coastwatch magazine and North Carolina Sea Grant.

Most Popular

Sharks, sea level rise, the ISS of the Ocean, and a “river of time.” Articles, features, new and old favorites. Here’s what our readers have been perusing the most…

image: The view from Hatteras Lighthouse with the sky and landscape in background to show the stretch off Hatteras. — The infamous Diamond Shoals stretch off Hatteras, with shallow sandbars always in flux.

Browse by Subject

No matter what you’re looking for, there’s a good chance we’ve covered it over the last 45 years.

image: Alligator in the grass. — An alligator rests in a yard off of Hwy 133. Credit: Ken Blevins/Star News.

Science & News

INSIDE THE WINTER 2025 ISSUE…

Accounting for the Unaccounted

Teachers on the Tower (video)

A Booming Industry — And a New Threat

Early Warnings

The 2024 NC Coastal Conference in Review

Managing Coastal Nitrogen Pollution

Environmental Sentinels

Mind the Gap

Hook, Line & Science

Vital Signs: New Sea Level Rise Projections for North Carolina

The Guide to Coastal Living

Public Trust

Mariner’s Menu: Winter Wonders

Coastal Currents

INSIDE THE FALL 2024 ISSUE…

The Catastrophic Power of Hurricane Helene

The Undersea Vision of Fabien Cousteau

The Guide to Coastal Living

Tracking Loggerheads

Hurricane Hazel

Mapping the Impacts of North Carolina’s Poultry Industry

Plastic from the Mountains to the Sea

Hook, Line & Science

Coastwatch Classroom

Mariner’s Menu

Coastal Currents

The Contamination of Indigenous Lands

INSIDE THE SUMMER 2024 ISSUE…

North Carolina’s True Ghost Story

Soul of the Soil

Catching up with John Mallette

Ancient Oyster Fisheries

Seashells of North Carolina

Hook, Line & Science

The Guide to Coastal Living

1,000 More Miles

How Climate Change Affects Your Health

Rip Currents Safety

Vital Signs: Caribbean Creep

Safety Alert: Hurricane Season Is Here

Special Announcement: The NC Coastal Conference Returns to the Coast

Mariner’s Menu

Letter from the Executive Director

Creature Feature: Conan O’Brien Worms, Sea Dragons, and Ocean Aliens

INSIDE THE SPRING 2024 ISSUE…

Ice to Ocean

What’s the Deal with that Big Blue Crab on the Beach?

Can Fish Bones Protect Us from the Sun?

Emerging Contaminants: Mystery in the Cape Fear

Are Fishing and Boating Regulations Protecting Endangered Whales?

Sunny with a Chance of Floods

The Straits by Skipjack

Creature Feature: Conan O’Brien Worms, Sea Dragons, and Ocean Aliens

Vital Signs: Greenhouse Gas Emissions Hit Highest Levels

The Guide to Coastal Living

The Rip Currents Safety Poster

Hook, Line & Science

Warming Waters

Coastwatch Classroom

Mariner’s Menu

Ancient Oyster Fisheries

INSIDE THE WINTER 2024 ISSUE…

Shifting Shores

Degrees of Change: Why Water Temperatures Matter

Climate & Society: Is Climate Change Creating More Pirates?

Vital Signs: Seven More Feet?

Crossing the Mighty Neuse

Treasures of Chicamacomico

Sixty Miles Off-Shore

Are We Accidentally Catching More Sea Turtles Than We Thought?

Bridging the Digital Divide

Hook, Line & Science: Are Fish Noisier Today Than They Used to Be?

Ecosystems Solutions

Behind the Business

Mariner’s Menu

Letter from the Executive Director

Most Popular

Browse by Subject