Winter 2004

Table of Contents

ALLIGATOR RIVER REFUGE COMES ALIVE AT NIGHT

The Dare County peninsula offers more than gators and red wolves. Ann Green follows the refuge’s deputy manager as she leads Wings Over Water participants on an owl prowl deep into the refuge’s forest.

ISABEL MAKES HISTORY IN NORTH CAROLINA

Hurricane Isabel left a trail of misery in low-lying coastal communities. Pam Smith talks with some residents who are rebuilding their lives and with researchers who are assessing the storm’s impacts.

DUNES:
Frontline for Storm Protection

Sand dunes can be dramatic — and quite useful. A new North Carolina Sea Grant publication describes the benefits of dunes as well as the best management practices for dune plantings.

PEOPLE & PLACES:
New Faces at Sea Grant

New staff members bring new talent and energy to North Carolina Sea Grant. Pam Smith introduces readers to three individuals who will advance the Sea Grant mission through extension activities.

SEA SCIENCE:
Science Serving Our Coast — And Beyond: New Sea Grant Research Projects Set

Katie Mosher introduces the newest research funded by North Carolina Sea Grant. What are the topics? How do they apply to the coastal region?

NATURALIST’S NOTEBOOK:
Explorative Learning in Geologic Time

Join Lilly Loughner on an adventure in time travel — a fossil hunting expedition at a coastal rock quarry. Field trip participants from the National Marine Educators Association tap into rich Eocene Epoch layers to discover a chambered nautilus, sharks’ teeth, sand dollars and an ancient whelk.