Coastal Cultures and Histories

The rich fabric of North Carolina’s coastal culture comprises the histories, narratives, and ways of life of people of all backgrounds and ethnicities, and it stretches across thousands of years.

The Mystery Ship Off Pappy Lane
How Science and Sleuthing Uncovered the History of a 58-Year-Old Shipwreck
in the Spring 2023 issue
Weeks of diving and mapping revealed a ship that had found its way from the turbulence of the Pacific Ocean to its final resting place at the bottom of the shallow, murky Pamlico Sound.

Resilience and Redevelopment in Duffyfield:
Revisualizing the Future of an Underserved Neighborhood in New Bern, NC
in the Spring 2023 issue
After Hurricane Florence flooded an African American neighborhood with a long history of strength after adversity, a team of community leaders, researchers, and students has been working to restore housing and preserve community history.

Our Coast, Our Future:
The 2022 North Carolina Coastal Conference
videos, photos, resources
in the Winter 2022 issue
They came to Raleigh from across North Carolina, discussed urgent and emerging issues affecting our coast, forged new ties, and literally devoured new research for lunch — and you can watch it here.

From Water to Air
with “Algal Blooms Pose Possible Respiratory Threat,” a video from UNC Research
in the Winter 2022 issue
When cyanobacteria goes airborne, community scientists are helping to investigate.

Between a River and a Swamp:
All That Water Has to Go Somewhere
in the Winter 2022 issue
Project BRIDGE’s documentary shows how a transdisciplinary team built resilience in Robeson County through a North Carolina Sea Grant-supported initiative.

Is There a Future for Oyster Relaying in North Carolina?
in the Autumn 2022 issue
For years, oyster farmers in our state have reported greater numbers of healthy oysters in areas that they harvest.

What’s So Special About North Carolina’s Oysters?
Savoring the NC Oyster Trail
in the Autumn 2022 issue
Farms, tastes, and tales — now foodies and adventurers can explore the magic of the North Carolina oyster.

From Hurricane Hazel to the Morning Light:
Coastal Carolina Through a Shrimper’s Eyes
in the Summer 2022 issue
After using scrap metal to build his own boat, Harry Bryant escaped waterspouts and a lightning strike and earned a living on the open water for 32 years.

First Wave
The Pea Island Surfmen Prove Themselves on a Heroic Night
“You have to go out, but you do not have to come back.”

Fishing for Food and Finding Connection
“Not everyone with a rod and reel is just fishing for fun. For some people, the stakes can be much higher.”

Conserving a Culture
Land Development, Climate Change, and the Gullah/Geechee Nation
“We teach our children the same traditional ways to go out in the water, and the same traditional ways to live from the land: only when things are in season.”

This Wet and Water-Loving Land
Excerpts from Bland Simpson’s North Carolina: Land of Water, Land of Sky
“The sea was ours, and we were the sea’s, and soon, after my father got us in to shore and, leaving us there, returned alone to the water, he swam 40 or 50 yards out and then kept swimming…”

In the Wake of Storms
Even as our state’s capacity for seafood processing declines, wholesalers and distributors have built a network that rapidly deploys initial aid to coastal communities after hurricanes.

Breaking Systemic Barriers
“I can’t walk around with a sign on my back that says, ‘I’m not a threat. Don’t shoot me.’ ”

Life on a Finger ‘Between Two Bays’
in the Winter 2020 issue
As North Carolina’s shellfish aquaculture industry booms, new and established growers alike turn to Jimmy Morris for sage advice.

The Winding Path of Research
in the Winter 2020 issue
When nobody showed up for her study, Olivia Vilá changed course — and her work shed new light on environmental justice.

Blacktip Sharks, Historic Dock Photos, and Hand-Crank Electrofishing
in the Summer 2020 issue
What will historic dock photos reveal about coastal communities and fisheries?

Hatteras Island Students Tackle Coastal Change
in the Summer 2020 issue
Ninety-five percent of Hatteras Island students believe in climate change, and most plan to leave the island.

The Story of Ricky Moore:
The ‘Best Chef in the Triangle’ Talks Carolina Cooking
in the Winter 2019 issue

The Great Deluge: A Chronicle of the Aftermath of Hurricane Floyd
in the Autumn 2019 issue

Wingina, Wanchese and Manteo: A Lumbee Perspective on the Lost Colony
in the Spring 2019 issue

From the Courthouse Steps to Climate Change:
How Lumbee History Can Inform New Social and Environmental Dialogue
in the Spring 2019 issue

Rising Stars: New Fellows Fuel Scientific Discovery
in the Summer 2019 issue

Fisherman’s Blues
in the Autumn 2018 issue

RISING: Perspectives of Change on the North Carolina Coast
in the Summer 2018 issue

Charting the Course
in the Spring 2018 issue

Diving into Darkness
in the Spring 2018 issue

Ocracoke’s Brogue: Sounds Past and Present
in the Winter 2018 issue

Q&A WITH BLAND SIMPSON: From Inspiration to Printed Page
in the Winter 2018 issue
with “A Captain’s Journey” (excerpt)

Working Together:
Communities Collaborate, Engage with Researchers
in the Holiday 2017 issue

Diving into History:
First N.C. Heritage Dive Site Opens
in the Autumn 2017 issue

It’s Born in Us
A Conversation with Barbara Garrity-Blake and Karen Willis Amspacher
in the Autumn 2017 issue
with “Living at the Water’s Edge” (excerpt)

Reeling in History: Documenting the 1997 Fisheries Reform Act
in the Summer 2017 issue

Discovering Down East on the Outer Banks National Scenic Byway
in the Summer 2017 issue

Discover Innovative Tourism Access
in the Spring 2017 issue

Watching and Learning about North Carolina Sea Grant
in the Spring 2017 issue

As American as Southern Seafood
in the Winter 2017 issue

Preserving Cultural Treasures
in the Winter 2017 issue

Running with the Blues
in the Holiday 2016 issue

Sharing Water Moments
in the Autumn 2016 issue

Researchers Reach Into Communities
in the Summer 2016 issue

Ride the Currents
in the Summer 2016 issue

Startup Connects Microentrepreneurs With Tourists
in the Spring 2016 issue

Plying Waterways with Words, Images
in the Winter 2016 issue
with “Little Rivers and Waterway Tales: A Carolinian’s Eastern Streams” (excerpt)
by Bland and Ann Cary Simpson

Beyond the Beach: African American History in Coastal North Carolina
in the Spring 2015 issue

State Treasures: NC Parks Approach Century Mark
in the Summer 2015 issue

Cut the Corner: Drawing Visitors to Northeastern North Carolina
in the Autumn 2015 issue

The Science of Shipwrecks
in the Winter 2013 issue

Turning an Eye (and Ear) on Core Sound
in the Spring 2013 issue

Trail Mix: Scenic Byway, Maritime Trail Beckons to Visitors
in the Summer 2013 issue

Sea Grant Partnerships
in the Summer 2013 issue

Of Salt and Sand: Sea Grant’s History with the Queen Anne’s Revenge Project
in the Autumn 2013 issue

Literary Trails: Lost and Found in the Northeastern Corridor
in the Holiday 2013 issue

Ship Ashore! Risk and the Historic U.S. Lifesaving Service
in the Winter 2012 issue

Hidden History: Cashie Reveals Backwater Wharf
in the Summer 2010 issue

Assessing Shipwrecks: The Value of Preservation
in the Holiday 2010 issue