Browse by Subject

No matter what you're looking for, there's a good chance we've covered it. If you can't find it under one of the subject headings below, you can browse by issue or by what's most popular, or you can use the search bar above. We're continuing to add new material, so be sure to check back regularly.

Coastal Landscapes & Plants

Thanks in large part to North Carolina Sea Grant’s Coastal Landscapes Initiative, there’s a new trend towards landscaping that enhances the coastal environment. Here, we’ve collected our stories on coastal landscaping and, more generally, on our state’s amazing seacoast plant life.

Climate Change

As the global climate heats up and sea levels rise, an epic battle takes shape in our coastal watersheds, where incremental changes have enormous impacts. What does research reveal? What does climate change mean for our state?

Coastal Resilience

As policymakers and planners begin to reconceive of resilience, Coastwatch offers articles at the forefront of the discussion.

Blue Economy

When economic activity is in balance with the long-term capacity of the coastal and ocean ecosystems, a blue economy emerges.

Critters (Other than Sharks)

From sea turtles to tree frogs to naked sea butterflies, we’ve published material on all kinds of critters.

Sharks

Our readers love ’em. Here you can find everything you need to know about all kinds off sharks.

Seafood

Here, you can read about what North Carolinians have been telling people for years. The best seafood on the Atlantic Seaboard comes from our own coast.

Fishing & Other Fun

Our state ranks first among Atlantic states for the number of people who fish recreationally in saltwater off the East Coast. We’ve gathered our favorite articles on fishing here, and you also can read about boating, beach combing, crabbing, and other fun.

Cultures & Histories

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

Sustainable Fisheries & Aquaculture

North Carolina Sea Grant provides expert assistance to the state’s diverse seafood and fishing industries, with staff members serving on advisory panels and connecting researchers to people who work in commercial and recreational fishing, aquaculture, and seafood. These projects help coastal communities sustain livelihoods, cultures, and the long-term health of fisheries.

Education

These stories are about educational outreach and provide special resources for teachers and students in North Carolina.

Healthy Ecosystems

The coastal environment faces numerous threats from emerging contaminants, plastics and marine debris, other pollutants, climate change, and more…

satellite image of hurricane making landfall on the East Coast.

Hurricanes

Climate change will fuel more and more supercharged storms, bringing even bigger challenges to coastal and inland North Carolina. For over four decades, Coastwatch has documented the hurricanes that have shaped our state.

Most Popular

Sharks, sea level rise, shifting shores, and a “river of time.” Articles, features, new and old favorites. Here’s what our readers have been enjoying most often…

image: The view from Hatteras Lighthouse with the sky and landscape in background to show the stretch off Hatteras. — The infamous Diamond Shoals stretch off Hatteras, with shallow sandbars always in flux.