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Winter 2026

INSiDE THE WINTER 2026 ISSUE

image: Yancey County aerial shot of post-Helene damage.

Ready, Set, Resilience

Two hurricanes and a global pandemic exposed a need to support students struggling with upheaval. Researchers at NC State and Duke collaborated with educators and others on a Sea Grant project to guide NC middle schoolers through turbulent times…

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More Than Seafood

The $100-Million Goal for North Carolina’s Farmed Shellfish

North Carolina Sea Grant and the NC Coastal Federation are collaborating on a bold project to accelerate growth of the state’s farmed shellfish industry…

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image: New Bern waterfront.

What Will it Cost New Bern to Lose 60% of its Wetlands?

There could be a total loss of around $4 million from lost nitrogen removal services alone over the next 75 years, but, the lost environmental benefits from all of the ecosystem services that wetlands provide could be “much, much larger…”

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Why Is North Carolina’s Blue Crab Population Declining?

North Carolina Sea Grant and partners looked at clues from before and after the decrease began…

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Leaking Landfills

Measuring Leachate Contamination in the Neuse and Tar-Pamlico Watersheds

Increasingly frequent extreme weather events flush contaminants — including leachate from landfills — into coastal waterways…

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image: Taylor Creek.

Drone Imagery Shows Shoreline Changes at Rachel Carson Reserve

A new North Carolina Sea Grant and NC Space Grant study using drone imagery reveals shifts in marsh and shoreline along Carrot Island in Beaufort…

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image: three giant Blacktips swimming in deep blue water.

Sharks of North Carolina

A Coastwatch Classic

The sounds, estuaries, and ocean waters in and around North Carolina provide a variety of habitats for water-dwelling species, including an abundance of sharks…

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image: Otolith cross-section.

Hook, Line & Science

North Carolina Sea Grant’s award-winning series for anglers

How can you tell a fish’s age — and why does it matter?

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image: Sam Holberg in the field.

Protecting North Carolina Coastlines with Natural Solutions

Sam Holberg, Sea Grant & Coastal Reserve Research Fellow

Researching the effects of oyster farms on shorelines could inform lasting, nature-based solutions for our coast…

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image: humpback whale.

Would a Humpback Whale Pass a Basic Human Eye Test?

Whale eyes might be big, but some species may see the world much differently than we assumed…

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image: aerial view of downtown Edenton.

An Edenton Haunting

Told for true along the Beaufort waterfront, June 2016

“That was the Captain. . . His boat went down in a hurricane off Ocracoke back in the ’20s…”

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image: colossal squid, deep-sea.

VIDEO: First Sighting of a Colossal Squid in its Natural Habitat

And It’s a Baby

One hundred years after the colossal squid’s discovery, a team on board a Schmidt Ocean Institute research vessel has filmed the species in waters off the South Sandwich Islands…

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image: Rich Inlet.

Letter from the Executive Director

Winter 2026: A Hive of Activity

We’re anticipating another great year, with your support and engagement leading our collective path forward. Of note, we’re again delighted to announce the return of the North Carolina Coastal Conference in November…

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Currents

News Briefs and Updates

Two annual conferences, a new webinar series on eco-friendly plants, an open call for proposals for STEM Policy fellowships, and more…

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The Art & Science of Weather

BONUS CONTENT, from FALL 2025

Constant fluctuation is part of coastal life. To work and recreate safely, we need to be able to predict the weather…

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