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Oyster Metrics: Reef Research Identifies Habitat

Critters

From sea turtles to tree frogs to naked sea butterflies, we’ve published material on all kinds of critters. And there’s much more in our Sharks section, too.

Sep 1, 2012

The Multitalented Oyster

Spruill, vice president of PenderWatch and Conservancy, experiments with growing oysters on all kinds of surfaces — not for eating, but for the environmental services they provide, such as water filtration.
deck hand

Mar 1, 2012

Hoping for a Comeback: Researchers Eye River Herring

The handmade sign at a riverside restaurant exclaims "Yes! We have herrings!" It is a welcome sight for Eastern North Carolina residents who still consider the bony fish a harbinger of spring.
A red wolf stares into the camera.

Jun 1, 2010

NATURALIST’S NOTEBOOK: Return of the Red Wolf

This article was published in the Summer 2010 issue of Coastwatch. The dense, humid air of a Dare County summer night is filled with anticipation. A large group of tourists…
Two black pearls inside a shell.

Mar 1, 2010

Dreams of Black Pearls

Osborne, a shellfish aquaculture researcher, is opening new doors for North Carolina's coastal economy. He and business partner Nelson Bullock are trying to grow jewel-quality, saltwater black pearls in state waters.
ant

Dec 15, 2009

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.
image: two right whales breech the ocean surface.

Jun 1, 2009

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…

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.
lures

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.
A blue crab in the sand

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.
NC oysters. VisitNC.com

Dec 1, 2008

Oyster Metrics: Reef Research Identifies Habitat

On the edge of Masonboro Sound near Wilmington, researcher Martin Posey stands in ankle-deep mud near an oyster reef. He bends over the created reef and marvels at the new oyster larvae, also called spat.