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Naturalist’s Notebook: Who Wants to See a 30-Foot Jellyfish?

Dave Shaw

Fire burning a stand of longleaf pine during a prescribed burn.

Sep 18, 2023

Hot Take: Some Forests Need Fire

In June, a wildfire spread across the Green Swamp Preserve in Brunswick County, temporarily closing the park to visitors. The North Carolina Forest Service led efforts to contain the “Pulp Road Fire,” rather than hauling heavy firefighting equipment through the preserve, which might have caused more damage than the fire itself.
image: sandbar shark.

Sep 18, 2023

Sands of Time

A sandbar shark tagged in North Carolina waters resurfaces 23 years later off the Florida Keys.

Jul 10, 2023

The Road Less Traveled: An Academic Journey from Undergrad to Professor

Fidan has developed a framework to model the daily flood extent in the North Carolina Coastal Plain area after Hurricane Matthew.
image: plastic particles under microscope.

Jun 20, 2023

A River of Plastics

New research reveals the Neuse River Basin annually delivers an estimated 230 billion particles of plastic to the Pamlico Sound.
back cover of the Summer 2023 issue of Coastwatch, thanking donors and featuring a piping plover.

Jun 19, 2023

The Back Cover
image: Hurricane Florence's eye.

Jun 3, 2023

Climate Resilience: Natural Landscapes and Flood Mitigation in New Bern

1996 marked an abrupt uptick in hurricane activity in coastal North Carolina, when tropical storm Arthur and hurricanes Bertha and Fran made landfall within a few months of each other. These storms caused billions of dollars in damage and significant loss of life. Since then, 38 tropical systems have impacted North Carolina.
image: shrimp on skewers on a plate with tomatoes and corn.

Jun 2, 2023

Mariner’s Menu: Summertime Specials

Enjoy these summertime specials — and check fish markets around a full moon for fresh soft shell crabs. 
image: Baseball star Babe Ruth with a bat in his hand at a baseball game.

Jun 2, 2023

Climate and Society: Hot Air and Home Runs

Does global warming mean more big hits?
image: dolphin jumps in an NC waterway.

Jun 2, 2023

Emerging Contaminants: PFAS in the Tidal Creeks of Southeastern North Carolina

Since the industrial revolution, the introduction of countless contaminants to the environment has led to a measurable chemical "pollution fingerprint" that is present in soil, water, air, and organisms.
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Jun 2, 2023

Naturalist’s Notebook: Who Wants to See a 30-Foot Jellyfish?

Cruise line passengers on side excursions in deep-sea submersibles can contribute to science — and they might just enjoy the rarest of encounters.