Coastal Currents
Research and News from North Carolina Sea Grant
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The NC Coastal Conference Returns November 17 & 18
North Carolina Sea Grant hosts the Coastal Conference again this year. The two-day conference will kick off November 17 at the Friday Center in Chapel Hill.
This year’s conference will feature a wide variety of presentations for anyone interested in our state’s coastal communities and environment. Discussions will range from scientific research and STEM outreach to innovative approaches that bridge fields and disciplines.
Sessions will address chronic erosion, coastal hazard planning, connecting coastal science to communities, cyanobacteria dynamics, educating for resilience, emerging contaminants, financing nature-based solutions, flood warning networks and risk mapping, food web interactions, juvenile fisheries and habitat, marsh health, risk communication, shoreline restoration, stormwater and flood mitigation, wastewater management, wetlands, and more.
The conference also will include two sessions packed with lightning talks, as well as a poster session. These sessions — and the conference’s networking events — will provide attendees with opportunities to teach, engage, and learn alongside like-minded participants and potential collaborators. The conference will offer professional development credits, too.
In addition, the Coastal Conference welcomes sponsors and exhibitors whose work aligns with North Carolina Sea Grant’s pivotal efforts in collaboration with communities, policymakers, scientists, and students.
2026 STEM Policy Fellows Begin NC Service
North Carolina STEM Policy Fellows have begun year-long roles at high-level state offices. The program provides graduates with career opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and math.
Riley Lawson holds a Ph.D. in biological and agricultural engineering from NC State University. She joins the Office of Science, Technology & Innovation.
Oluwatosin Ibrahim holds an M.S. in environmental, earth, and geospatial sciences from North Carolina Central University. He works with the NC Department of Transportation.
Nate Marsh holds a master’s in public policy from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He joins the Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuary Partnership.
Hannah Walsh holds a master’s in biomedical sciences from East Carolina University. Walsh serves with the North Carolina Biotechnology Center.
Naomi Pitts holds an M.S. in biological and agricultural engineering from NC State; she will join the State Energy Office.
Chase Pierce holds a master’s in public policy from UNC Chapel Hill. He also will join the State Energy Office.
Caitlin BrabbleRose holds a Ph.D. in biology from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. She works with the NC Rural Economic Development Center, a new host office for the program.
North Carolina Sea Grant administers STEM Policy Fellowships with support from the Burroughs Wellcome Fund and the program’s host offices.
— Lily Soetebier
More on STEM Policy Fellowships.
Community Collaborations Address Drinking Water Safety, PFAS, and More
New projects from the Community Collaborative Research Grant Program (CCRG) are tackling urgent issues across the state. Each project couples scientific expertise with local knowledge through partnerships between researchers and community members.
Community-Driven Solutions to Strengthen Private Drinking Water Systems in Western North Carolina After Hurricane Helene
Jacqueline Gibson, North Carolina State University, and Brandon Pitman, NC Cooperative Extension, Mitchell County Center
“This project will improve drinking water safety and public health for western North Carolina residents relying on private wells and springs, while building local capacity to respond to future water infrastructure disruptions,” says Gibson. “The work also provides a scalable model to support disaster recovery for households across the state relying on private water systems.”
A PFAS Investigation: Forensic Analysis of Sources and Understanding Risk Perception of an Impacted Community in Swepsonville, North Carolina
Meredith Hovis, UNC Wilmington, and Emily Sutton, Haw River Assembly
Hovis and Sutton’s project will investigate the sources and movement of “forever chemicals” in private wells near a former landfill. “By bringing together water quality science and community engagement, the research will help residents, regulators, and local organizations respond more effectively to PFAS contamination and strengthen public understanding of environmental risks,” says Hovis.
Empowering Coastal Communities with Data-Driven Tools to Reduce Exposure to Cyanobacteria Harmful Algal Blooms
Lisa Satterwhite, Duke University, and Colleen Karl, Chowan Edenton Environmental Group
Satterwhite and Karl will work with northeastern NC coastal communities to provide daily high-resolution satellite imagery as part of an alert system. “Our work will develop strategies to support ecosystem health for recreation and fisheries all through the beautiful North Carolina coastal plain that will be translatable across the state,” says Satterwhite. For more, see this issue’s “Algal Blooms and ALS.”
Evaluating Nature-Based Solutions for American Oystercatcher Habitat Using High- Resolution Imagery in the Lower Cape Fear River
Marae West, Sandbar Oyster Company, and Lindsay Addison, Audubon North Carolina
West and Addison will test whether nature-based solutions can stabilize degraded but critical nesting habitat for American oystercatchers in the Lower Cape Fear River. West says the project unites “local scientific and business expertise to produce practical tools” that “North Carolina resource managers can use to protect coastal habitat.”
North Carolina Sea Grant and the NC Water Resources Research Institute administer the CCRG Program in partnership with the William R. Kenan Jr. Institute for Engineering, Technology and Science.
— Carrie Clower
More on Community Collaborative Research Grants.
Research Fellows Study Microbial Communities, Resilience, and More
North Carolina Sea Grant and the NC Water Resources Research Institute have selected new Mountains to Sea Graduate Research Fellows. Six new projects address erosion, resilience, and other key topics.
Modeling Barrier Island Response to Changing Water Levels, Storms, and Management Scenarios
Hannah Henry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
“Barrier islands are at the intersection of some of our most pressing coastal challenges —sea level rise, storm impacts, and hard decisions about where and how to invest in infrastructure,” says Henry, a Ph.D. student in Earth, Marine, and Environmental Sciences. Henry hopes to “help communities and managers think through tradeoffs.”
Leveraging Big Data to Develop Improved Predictive Equations of Streambank Erodibility Parameters
Karol Sanchez Luquez, NC State University
“My research is driven by the need to better understand and predict streambank erosion,” says Sanchez Luquez, a Ph.D. student in biological and agricultural engineering. “I aim to develop tools that support smarter monitoring and more sustainable, risk-informed water resource management.”
Impact of Road Closures From Hurricane Helene on Accessing Emergency Water Distribution Sites
Kendrick Grant, University of North Carolina at Charlotte
“Transportation disruptions during disasters affect access to essential resources like drinking water,” says Grant, an M.S. student in civil and environmental engineering. Grant’s project will analyze the effect of post-Helene transportation barriers on emergency water supplies.
Evaluating Drivers of Toxic CyanoHABs to Educate Communities and Protect Ecological and Human Health Across the Albemarle Sound
Lan Nguyen, Duke University
“I’m investigating community dynamics of cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms to determine and understand environmental factors that affect their toxicity,” says Nguyen, a Ph.D. candidate in civil and environmental engineering. Nguyen’s work will support “effective surveillance and mitigation systems to protect public health.”
Quantifying the Contributions of Corbicula spp. and Ebullition to Reach-Scale Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Nguyen Tien Anh Quach, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Quach, a Ph.D. student in geography and environment, is studying a burrowing clam species and ebullition — the bubbling of gas from sediment — to gauge impacts on “total greenhouse gas emissions from streams.” The study includes training for nearby communities on data collection.
Microbial Nitrogen Removal Pathways in Engineered and Nature-Based Systems
Nicholas Chance, NC State University
Excessive nitrogen can foment harmful algal blooms and contaminate groundwater. Funded by the Urban Water Consortium, Chance will compare wastewater treatment in both engineered and nature-based systems. Findings regarding nitrogen removal can inform better performance, Chance says, “and thus more resource-efficient and energy- efficient management.”
— Josephine Kinsey
