2009

More From 2009

SEA SCIENCE: Aquatic Science Within Reach: Fisheries Research Provides Classroom Lessons

As part of research funded by North Carolina Sea Grant, biologist Anthony Overton and science educator Rhea Miles are fine-tuning lesson plans and products field tested with students in a science camp.

SEA SCIENCE: RESEARCH GROWS FUTURE SCIENTISTS

In environmentally controlled growth chambers at Elon University in the piedmont, far from its usual habitat in the upper intertidal zones of estuaries, black needlerush, Juncus roemerianus, seedlings are growing — slowly.

MAPPING THE OVERLAP: Terrapins & Crab Pots in the Lower Cape Fear Region

Visitors unfamiliar with Masonboro Island may wonder what planet they are on when a hooded figure in hip-high boots emerges out of the fog with a large antenna. A seasoned visitor would know it's only University of North Carolina Wilmington graduate student Leigh Anne Harden — known by some locals as the "turtle girl" — out on a chilly spring morning to track and observe her reptilian research subjects.

Otolith IDs: Tracing Elements of Prime Habitat

John Mohan, a graduate student at East Carolina University, checks a probe monitoring the temperature and dissolved oxygen in a tub aboard a boat in Batchelor Bay. In the tub swim some silvery juvenile striped bass that Mohan picked up earlier that morning from the Edenton National Fish Hatchery. Ten are intended for each of two research cages in the bay.

Return of the Bay Scallops

Bay scallops have been enjoyed in North Carolina since the time when our state's only inhabitants were Native Americans. However, North Carolina's bay scallops have experienced years of low numbers.

Texting Your Catch: New Technology for Recreational Fishing Data

At nearly every fisheries management meeting he attends, Baker hears the same complaint: North Carolina's recreational fishermen don't have to account for their catch. Two years ago, during a regional meeting about snapper and grouper, Baker looked down at his hands and finally saw a possible answer: his mobile phone.

COMMUNICATING HURRICANES: Accurate Information, Timely Delivery

If a coastal storm is brewing, where will coastal residents turn for accurate information? How do social, news and other information networks become emergency communications networks?

More than Sport: Research Targets Speckled Trout

Despite the cold and a few flurries, Ricky Kellum, a fishing charter captain known as "The Speckled Specialist," and Tim Ellis, a North Carolina State University doctoral student, are braving the near-freezing temperatures to do a little fishing.

Species on the Brink: Latest Challenges for River Herring Research

Once upon a time, river herring multiplied by the millions in North Carolina's waters. During spring spawning runs in the Chowan and other rivers, fishermen were literally knee-deep in the easy-to-preserve protein source.

image: two right whales breech the ocean surface.

WIN-WIN RESEARCH: Pilot Whale Studies Help Fishermen, Species

During yellowfin and bigeye tuna seasons, or in search of swordfish, boats from Wanchese head 40 miles offshore to waters near the continental shelf’s edge. Captains and mates set…

A POUND OF PREVENTION

Now Barco is at the frontline of preventing some dolphin injuries from happening in the first place. Bottlenose dolphins near Virginia Beach must co-exist with commercial fishers. Yet some stranded dolphins are being found with tangles and scars from pound nets, a crucial fishing gear in the region.

CI-FLOW: Partnerships Enhance Flood Forecasting

Although significant near-record river flooding was anticipated in advance of Hurricane Floyd, the uncertainty in its track and rainfall amounts made it difficult to forecast the unprecedented speed and extent of rising water levels in inland rivers and coastal sounds.

Hurricane Awareness: Hurricane Research, Events Focus on Past, Future Storms

One of the world's premier research aircraft, a NOAA WP-3D Orion Hurricane Hunter, will make two appearances in North Carolina this spring.

Stepping Up the Pace for Coastal Water Quality

It's that time of year when the winter chill might prompt stepping up the pace of a walk on the beach or choosing a heavier coat for a day on the fishing pier.

FROM NC TO DC: NOAA Official Remembers Floyd

Heavy surf battered the coastline for days on end. Drenching rain was recorded well inland. As the warning coordination meteorologist, Laura Furgione was still working with county emergency management leaders to review damage surveys and conduct outreach when a new tropical system — to be named Floyd — was identified.

Mariner’s Menu: Scrumptious Snapper: Steamed, Poached, Fried or Marinated

Seafood can be prepared a number of ways: steamed, poached, fried and/or marinated. When it comes to preparing dishes, quality counts, so be sure to use fresh seafood from North Carolina's waters.

NATURALIST’S NOTEBOOK: Coastal Invasion: The Argentine Ant

They’ve hit shore, creeping with stealth onto the lawns of unwary Outer Banks residents, with their populations of hundreds, or hundreds of thousands, or even millions of individuals, all hungry. Soon, the lawn is not enough. They trickle into coastal homes, a steady stream growing stronger by the day. People begin finding them in sinks and cereal boxes, trespassing on car seats and creeping across crepe myrtle.

PEOPLE & PLACES: No Haunting, Just History

FISHERMEN LIKE TO TEASE JACQUELINE MARCOTTE ABOUT HER research into junked and sunken boats in remote creeks along the Pungo River in Beaufort County.

EMERGENCY MANAGERS PREPARE FOR THE WORST; HOPE FOR THE BEST

On a recent July morning in Brunswick County, carefree locals and tourists head for their favorite barrier island beaches. Most are unaware of the dozens of emergency workers scrambling to "hurricane disasters" enfolding at sites in nearby Shallotte and Grissettown: A Category 3 hurricane has leveled two buildings — trapping, injuring or killing the occupants.

Cooked shrimp that was prepared in parchment.

MARINER’S MENU: New Blog Features Fresh Seafood Ideas and More

People who are eating healthier are including more seafood in their diets, says blog contributor Barry Nash. And with the struggling economy, consumers are eating more meals at home.

She-Crab Soup in white bowl on a blue napkin.

Mariner’s Menu: Seafood Soups: A Fine Kettle of Fish & Shellfish

Chock full of vegetables and seafood, soups and stews make a hearty meal. On a cold day, a hot bowl of scallop bisque or old-fashioned clam chowder needs only a good crusty bread or cornbread to round it out.

THEIR EYES WERE WATCHING FLOYD