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Holiday 2014

MOVING FISH: Supply and Demand In North Carolina’s Seafood Industry

But this demand and awareness may not help the fishermen at the coast. The commercial fishing industry in North Carolina is at a critical juncture.

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More From Holiday 2014

coastal shoreline

CAPITAL CAREERS: Knauss Fellows: Where are they now?

Some people know the John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship as an opportunity for individual graduate students to work in coastal and ocean policy. But the network of fellows also serves as an extensive collection of professionals, stretching across disciplines and decades.

Road to the White House

Now a private consultant, Maher sees a consistent thread through her career — starting with experiences and opportunities in 2004. That year she worked for U.S. Rep. Sam Farr of California when she participated in the Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship, offered by the National Sea Grant College Program.

Vuxton stands in dewatered lock and dam.

Life in the Army Corps

During her time as a Knauss fellow in 2012, Vuxton worked in the Engineer Research and Development Center, supporting the Corps’ navigation, coastal and environmental research and development initiatives. During her travel to Corps district offices, she visited some of the agency’s structures and facilities, including locks, dams, seawalls, jetties and ships from Portland, Oregon, to Baltimore. She also participated in conferences in Argentina and Tampa.

Weaving a Web of Connections

“My typical day may include attending a Congressional meeting or hearing, receiving and responding to questions from Congressional staff; attending meetings with our program offices, and writing testimony, briefing papers, or other documents; and responding to numerous emails,” she says.

sea turtle

LEGAL TIDES: Graduate Students Focus on Coastal Policy

The North Carolina Coastal Policy Fellowship encourages graduate research that addresses contemporary or emerging issues within the state's coastal counties. Fellows receive real-world experience, professional development opportunities, and avenues to inform stakeholders and the public about the results of their work.

Mikey Goralnik.

DRAWING BOARD TO ESTUARY: Design Education for the Future of North Carolina’s Coast

But to us, despite their potential to offer equally critical solutions to coastal dilemmas, architecture, landscape architecture and engineering are woefully underrepresented in conversations around North Carolina’s coast. While work in the traditional hard sciences is, and always will be, a foundational component of the state’s coastal future, we believe that achieving truly resilient communities — places that can both absorb the impacts of the extreme events of the future and address their present day causes — cannot happen without more committed dialogue from and with the design fields.

Red snapper on ice.

MARINER’S MENU: All Wrapped Up

Bundled in paper, flounder with fresh mushrooms, savory shrimp and Parmesan snapper bake in 15 minutes or less in a preheated oven. The seafood packets emerge perfectly steamed, making an elegant holiday meal that your guests will enjoy unwrapping.

Kimberly Hernandez

PROTECTING BEACHES AND SEA TURTLES

What is the relationship between beach nourishment and sea turtle protection in North Carolina? During my time as a fellow, I examined and attempted to characterize this connection.

Fish fillet on white parchment

GIFTS FROM THE SEA

1. Cut a piece of parchment 12x18 inches or slightly more than twice as wide as the fillet to be cooked. The extra room allows for sealing.

Red arrow-shaped sign pointing way to Seafood Market

IN FROM THE COLD: Fresh vs. Frozen Seafood

It’s likely that at this time of year, you can only find frozen North Carolina shrimp. But don’t let that deter you from attempting shrimp recipes this holiday season, including the parchment-wrapped shrimp recipe featured in this section.

CURRENTS: NC Scholars Begin Appointments

North Carolina Sea Grant and its partners offer many fellowship opportunities for the state's graduate students. Fellows learn about the management, policy and scientific research that affect the state's and nation's shorelines.

crashing surf

Sea Science: Why Do Waves Come in Groups?

Spencer Rogers is a coastal specialist with N.C. Sea Grant and co-author of "The Dune Book." Here he explains the basics of ocean waves. Questions and answers have been edited.