WINTER 2024

Letter from the Executive Editor

image: WINTER 2024 COVER of COASTWATCH.

SHIFTING SHORES
The increasing number of coastal residents and the expansion of infrastructure
in North Carolina bring additional challenges to the protection of our coastal habitats and communities.
a video story by Dan DiNicola

introduction by Sarah Spiegler

DEGREES OF CHANGE
Why Water Temperatures Matter
New research looks at long-term trends in NC estuaries —
changes that could bring new species to our coast.
by Marlo Chapman

BRIDGING THE DIGITAL DIVIDE
Free Mapping Helps Small NC Towns Meet Water Quality Requirements
with videos from the Internet of Water
“The collaborative and adaptive approach used in this project
resulted in a tool that can immediately benefit small water utilities.”
by Annie Grant

SIXTY MILES OFF-SHORE
A First-Hand Account of Research on the R/V Palmetto
with a short “fish film” from the SC Department of Natural Resources.
A Sea Grant fellow shares his experience aboard a science
vessel — deploying traps, analyzing fish, and acclimating to life on the Atlantic.
by David Hugo

CROSSING THE MIGHTY NEUSE
“’That boat’ll take more than you will!’”
by Bland Simpson

A COASTWATCH CLASSIC
Treasures of Chicamacomico:
An Architectural Gem Yields Rich Historical Bounty
For generations, the Chicamacomico lifesaving station, which celebrates its 150th anniversary this year,
was known for daring rescues of shipwrecked crews and passengers off Cape Hatteras.  
by Katie Mosher

photos by Michael Halminski

NATURALIST’S NOTEBOOK
Are We Accidentally Catching More Sea Turtles Than We Thought?
with NOAA’s Green Sea Turtle Dive video
A new model shows when and why turtles along the Southeast coast are at risk.
by Sara Mirabilio

ECOSYSTEM SOLUTIONS
Reducing the Nutrient Load:
How an Alternative Method of Wastewater Treatment Could Help the Tar-Pamlico Recover
Are hybrid constructed wetlands part of the solution for North Carolina’s impaired watersheds?
by Alexa Cortes

BEHIND THE BUSINESS
Perspectives from a Seafood Insider
Nathan King of Seaview Crab Company, Wilmington
“We are not afraid to lose some money to find the right approaches
to getting North Carolina seafood to the people who want it.”

HOOK, LINE & SCIENCE
Are Fish Noisier Today Than They Used to Be?
with underwater recordings of fish
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.
by Christine Ryan

CLIMATE & SOCIETY
Is Climate Change Creating More. . . Pirates?
Dwindling fish populations from warming waters could increase maritime crime.
by Marlo Chapman

VITAL SIGNS
Seven More Feet?
Excerpts from NOAA’s Sea Level Rise Technical Report
with NOAA’s user-friendly interactive sea-level viewer
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.

MARINER’S MENU
Winter Wonders
Enjoy these Wintertime treats!
by Vanda Lewis and Joyce Taylor

The Masthead

lead photo credit: Ali Bayless / NOAA Fisheries.