Naturalist’s Notebook

Sep 18, 2023

North Carolina’s Year Round Residents

Many vacationers to the Outer Banks have been lucky enough to spot dolphins in the sounds that separate the islands from the mainland.

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.

Mar 28, 2023

Naturalist’s Notebook: Hurricanes, People, and Piping Plovers

A new study looked at the long-term mating habits of piping plovers before and after protective measures went into effect.

Oct 16, 2024

Tracking Loggerheads

Satellite tagging on Bald Head Island reveals that loggerheads cover long distances up and down the East Coast — and beyond.

Nov 23, 2021

Naturalist’s Notebook: What’s the Status of American Eels in North Carolina’s Tidal Creeks?

Scientists looked at whether development on tidal creek terrain affected the survival rate of yellow-phase American eels.

Sep 20, 2021

Naturalist’s Notebook: Do Water Snakes Get Thirsty?

A research team enters swampy terrain to hand-capture snakes and measure the reptiles' sensitivity to dehydration.

Dec 14, 2020

Naturalist’s Notebook: Sparrows and Rising Seas

Two coastal study sites now support hundreds of saltmarsh and seaside sparrows but might only provide habitat for 25 by 2060.

Sep 16, 2020

Naturalist’s Notebook: Is Climate Change Affecting Sea Turtle Hatchlings?

Research shows that warming temperatures cause loggerheads to give birth mostly to female offspring.

Nov 8, 2018

Naturalist’s Notebook: Returning to Shore

Theirs was a long journey. Leatherback sea turtles undertake migrations of up to 3,700 miles from their feeding grounds to where they breed and nest. In total, they can travel up to 10,000 miles a year.

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.