Sandra Harris

Jun 1, 2009

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.

Jun 1, 2009

LOCAL CATCH: Seafood: Fresh & Local

Freshness is fashionable these days, especially when it comes to seafood. And “fresh” is often synonymous with words like “local” and “seasonal” in consumers’ minds, as a group of fishermen…

Mar 1, 2009

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.

Mar 1, 2009

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.

Mar 1, 2009

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.

Mar 1, 2009

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.

Dec 15, 2008

Investigating the Mysteries of Blue Crab Migration

Heading down the channel into North River, which forms the border between Currituck and Camden counties, the three men start their rhythmic routine: hooking each red-and-green-striped buoy; pulling up the attached pot; shaking the blue crabs into the culling sink; separating them into baskets by size and sex; baiting the pot with fresh menhaden; and throwing the pot back into the water with the buoy trailing behind.

Dec 15, 2008

Picking Up the Paddle: Fuel-Free Fishing in North Carolina

As gas prices hover near all-time highs, many recreational fishers likely think twice about fueling up their boats for a day on the water. But the fish are still biting for those who prefer paddling to power boating.

Dec 1, 2008

Finding Fish in Lots of Water

REAL STORY — not a fish tail tale. A casual shellseeker on Atlantic Beach ignores the buffsurfers off the Fort Macon jetty and instead catches the eye of a glum surf fisherman in green waders slicing bait on top of a cooler. She interrupts his concentration (and cigarette), saving, "I have to write a magazine article on how fishermen catch fish. What can you tell me?" Without raising his head, he growls, "When you write that article, I'll be sure and buy that magazine, 'cause I don' know!"

Dec 1, 2008

PEOPLE & PLACES: Oak Island Lighthouse: Welcome Sight for Mariners and Landlubbers

Four, one-second flashes of light every 10 seconds at Latitude: 33.8939 North, Longitude: 78.0351 West. By sea, that's the visual and global "address" of the Oak Island Lighthouse.