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Spring 2013
The Kraken II ROV being lifted from the ocean.

Spring 2013

Undersea Exploration: Charting New Pathways to the Abyss

This spring, Ross and colleagues embark on the final voyage of an ambitious four-year project designed to fill at least part of that knowledge void. The cruise is slated for May 2 to 27.

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More From Spring 2013

image: Susan White.

FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Strong Science + Engaged Communities = Sea Grant Impacts

Such interinstitutional, collaborative efforts among university researchers, fishermen and local coastal decision makers continue to reinforce Sea Grant's role in bringing diverse expertise together to address coastal needs.
Susan White stands at podium with NC State University logo.

Then and Now: Susan White Returns to North Carolina

In her whirlwind first few months at Sea Grant, White has had multiple visits to the coast, but alas, no time to bundle up in waders and layers to venture out for field work. Instead, she has more informal fact-finding missions: learning about critical and emerging topics and needs along the coast and through the watersheds.
A model submersible in the Nature Research Center.

A Simulated Sea Drive

These visitors to the Nature Research Center at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences are actually onboard a model submersible that has been featured since the center opened in April 2012.
Plated pan-roasted flounder.

From Sheepshead to Softshells: North Carolina’s James Beard Award Contenders Talk Local Seafood

This year, North Carolina had 13 semifinalists and has one finalist for the awards. Like Beard, many North Carolina contenders feel a strong connection to the shore and to fresh, local seafood.
Fishing tackle, a channeled whelk, quahog clams pieces, moon snail opercula, a surf clam, sea urchin test, purse crab and a plastic bottle cap.

Scotch Bonnet: Beachcombing Biology: The Stories Your Finds Tell

Beachcombing — spending time on a beach looking for lost or discarded items, natural specimens, etc., that are useful or interesting — is a great and inexpensive way to get some exercise and meditation time, along with a dose of vitamin D.

Suzanne Thompson stands in a field as horses stand in the background.

SEA SCIENCE: Traversing Untrodden Ground

The mud sucks at her boots as Teri O'Meara enters the marsh on Carrot Island. But the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill graduate student doesn't turn back. Instead she ventures in deeper to compare bacterial and fungal activity in different areas on the island.
Jared Flowers, Michael Loeffler and Charles Combs netted and tagged this Atlantic sturgeon in the Roanoke River in fall 2012.

NATURALIST’S NOTEBOOK: Dinosaurs in the Rivers?

A prehistoric species, Atlantic sturgeon were a common menu item along the East Coast in the 19th century. However, Atlantic sturgeon are making news these days for placement on a different list: the federal endangered species list.

PEOPLE AND PLACES: Turning an Eye (and Ear) on Core Sound

There's a natural rhythm to life in the Core Sound region of Carteret County, an area of vast coastal marshes along North Carolina's Outer Banks punctuated by small fishing villages. Accessible only by water for much of its history, the tight-knit community has nurtured generations of fishermen and boatbuilders, families of strong traditions and even stronger links to the sea.
The Cape Hatteras boat docked.

CURRENTS: Research Vessel Changes Hands

Now the Marine Technology, or MarTech, program at Cape Fear Community College that trains these specialists is getting a shot in the arm in the form of the R/V Cape Hatteras — a new, bigger research vessel to replace their aging instruction vessel.