Sandra Harris

Dec 1, 2016

SEA SCIENCE: Growing Oysters at Home in Coastal North Carolina

Gagnon and his wife Korin moved to Emerald Isle from Raleigh. They began by harvesting their own oysters from the wild or buying them from local sources. On a suggestion from Jim Swartzenberg, a former commercial shellfish grower, the couple started growing the bivalves themselves.

Dec 1, 2016

NATURALIST’S NOTEBOOK: Running with the Blues

For more than 60 years, the Hatteras Village Fish Fry has been a community tradition at the Hatteras Village Fire Station on Summer Saturdays. Bluefish, also known as blues, often are the catch of the day. Make that the fresh catch with an island flair.

Nov 28, 2016

The Catch: The Red Drum: First in Fish for North Carolina Recreational Anglers

Mention red drum to Jim Bahen and you are certain to transport him to that mystical place of all recreational anglers: the record book.

Sep 21, 2016

HURRICANE FRAN REVISITED: Lessons From a Benchmark Storm

The summer of 1996. It’s hard to believe it’s been 20 years. Atlanta was prepping for the summer Olympics, DVDs were the new technology from Japan, and two new websites called eBay and Amazon were about to forever change the way we shop. But for me, it was hurricanes Bertha and Fran that made the summer of ’96 so memorable.

Sep 21, 2016

PEOPLE AND PLACES: Story Map Reveals Oyster Treasures

Holder liked the oyster idea, and with funding from Sea Grant, the pair set off on a quest to crack open the secret life of oysters.

Sep 15, 2016

FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: NC Sea Grant’s Resilience Efforts Meet Varied Needs

Earlier this year, resilience was one of the monthly themes as the National Sea Grant College Program celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2016. The national and state programs highlighted efforts to build resilience among coastal communities nationwide.

Sep 1, 2016

NATURALIST’S NOTEBOOK: The Quiet Decline of the Humble Eel

Standing at the end of a dock on the Neuse River, a young John Fear would cast, wait for a bite, and soon feel the thrilling tug at the end of the line.

Sep 1, 2016

CURRENTS: A Cohesive Strategy: The North Carolina Watershed Stewardship Network

This particular patch of earth, also known as the Black Creek watershed, once was home for Christy Perrin, the sustainable water and communities coordinator for North Carolina Sea Grant and the Water Resources Research Institute of the University of North Carolina system. Like Perrin, we all live in a watershed: an area of land that drains all rainwater or snow to one location, such as a river or lake.

Sep 1, 2016

FROM SEEDS TO SHORELINE: Expanding Minds and Restoring Marshes

Armed with shovels and planting trays, 12 determined fifth-graders make their way down to the water’s edge to plant smooth cordgrass, Spartina alterniflora, at the living shoreline demonstration site on Pivers Island. The members of Team Spartina, as they call themselves, gently pull seedlings from the trays and say their goodbyes before planting them in clusters along the shoreline.

Sep 1, 2016

Sharing Water Moments

In July, the National Sea Grant program — which is celebrating 50 years of research, education and outreach on coastal topics — focused on water resources. For five decades, Sea Grant programs and projects nationwide have addressed a range of water issues, including quality, quantity, and supply or oversupply, in the case of flooding. Throughout the month, North Carolina Sea Grant staff and friends shared their favorite waterway memory. Here are some highlights.