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Fall 2015
Bull shark with diver

Fall 2015

LIGHTS, CAMERA, SHARK

Chuck Bangley is a North Carolina Sea Grant-funded doctoral candidate in coastal resources management at East Carolina University. He blogs at Ya Like Dags at yalikedags.southernfriedscience.com and tweets from @SpinyDag.…

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More From Fall 2015

Mullet sit on ice.

MARINER’S MENU: Food Fish, Good Fish

“This is a species that is relatively unfamiliar to visitors to the coast. It’s not widely available in restaurants,” Nash explains. “I wanted to evaluate it in a preparation that wasn’t deep fried or grilled, something other than the traditional way of cooking mullet.”
route map

PEOPLE AND PLACES: CUT THE CORNER: Drawing Visitors to Northeastern North Carolina

Many who journey to the Outer Banks take Interstate 95 to  Rocky Mount, then U.S. 64 straight to the coast, with visions of sandy beaches and lighthouses on their minds. Those coming from the north drive 86 miles of highway, bypassing a shorter 59-mile path lined with historic towns, trails and parks.
image: Susan White.

FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: The Sea Grant Charge: Improving Science, Education and Collaboration

I am pleased to announce that Sea Grant has received an award through the Kenan Institute for Engineering, Technology and Science (KIETS) program at North Carolina State University. The funding will support a new program that we are calling the North Carolina Sea Grant Community Collaborative Research Grant Program. The Community Collaborative program will provide grants for teams consisting of individuals and communities with local ecosystem knowledge and research experts. Together, they will address the state’s high-priority coastal issues across a range of academic programs, including natural and social sciences, education, and business management.

PLANTING THE SEEDS FOR A COMMON WEALTH

That’s what some University of North Carolina Wilmington scientists hope their research will do: Build the oyster aquaculture industry in North Carolina. Seed funding from North Carolina Sea Grant has jump-started two projects that could help the state achieve this goal. These UNCW researchers are developing building blocks that might make it easier and more efficient for those who want to grow oysters in the state.
southern flounder

THE POWER OF OBSERVATION

Southern flounder, the species that Bruno and Coble seek, is the most economically important estuarine finfish in the state, according to data from the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries, or DMF. In 2014, nearly 1.7 million pounds of the fish were landed in the commercial fishery, with a dockside value exceeding 4.8 million.
fellowship progams

CURRENTS: IN THEIR OWN WORDS: Sea Grant Fellows Share Research Snapshots

North Carolina Sea Grant supports many graduate students through fellowships that cover a wide range of research interests. The programs are committed to supporting the state’s future scientists and leaders.
Shoreline along the Albermarle Sound that features some trees

NATURALIST’S NOTEBOOK: CAROLINA BAYS: Another Man’s Treasure

The Waccamaw Siouan Indians say thousands of years ago, the night sky flared incandescent as a meteor fell ablaze from the west and struck earth. As surrounding swamps and rivers flowed into the concaved ground, cooling the basin and its waters to hues of blue and green, Lake Waccamaw was created.
Bull shark with open mouth in blue water below the surface.

SWIMMING WITH SHARKS

In a typical year, one or two shark bites are reported in North Carolina. This summer, the relatively high number of shark bites has caused North Carolina beaches to become the center of media attention, from the local to global scale.