Some forests need fire. Do the benefits of prescribed burns include protection and recovery from wildfires?

Welcome to Coastwatch

Welcome to Coastwatch, North Carolina Sea Grant’s flagship print and digital publication. For over four decades, this award-winning magazine has brought the latest science and news to readers who love our coast.

Our compelling articles and captivating photography offer new insights and perspectives on North Carolina’s coastal communities, our emerging blue economy, the amazing plant and animal life in our ecosystems, and much more.

Fall 2023

Read more from our latest issue

September 21, 2023

Letter from the Executive Director

Fall always brings a timely break from the year’s summer heat, and we can all hope for limited impacts from hurricane season as it winds down. Opportunities for hikes, biking, fieldwork, and excursions are all appealing again in these cooler months.

September 18, 2023

Vital Signs: Sea Level Rise Rapidly Accelerates Along the Southeast and Gulf Coasts

Researchers find record-breaking rates of sea level rise since 2010 — three times higher than the global average — from Cape Hatteras to the Gulf Coast.

September 18, 2023

Behind the Researcher: Matt Damiano, Warming Waters, and Sustaining Iconic Fish

“We have a rapidly changing landscape of both the ocean environment and the makeup of who is going out to catch fish.” When you give a child a National Geographic video on sharks, you might just hook them on sea life.