NC Coastal Conference<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014 Carrie Clower<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Research teams across the state recently have begun work on North Carolina Sea Grant\u2019s new core projects. Scientists are applying innovative approaches to coastal resilience, climate change, flooding, disaster recovery, sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, environmental literacy, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOur core research examines real-world needs of our coastal communities and ecosystems,\u201d says Susan White, executive director of North Carolina Sea Grant. \u201cWe are pleased to have so many multidisciplinary collaborations that address our program\u2019s strategic focus areas.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The projects include lead researchers from NC State University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, East Carolina University, and the University of North Carolina Wilmington. In addition, Chowan University, Duke University, Rural Forward NC, Audubon NC, and state agency partners play key roles. Most projects provide student support and training opportunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The following studies will run through early 2024:<\/p>\n\n\n\n For updates, follow North Carolina Sea Grant\u2019s Twitter and Facebook feeds, and check back here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n funding opportunities at North Carolina Sea Grant<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Steve W. Ross will lead an international team of scientists this summer in a first-of-its-kind survey of marine life at the Titanic<\/em> shipwreck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe are seeking to compile a list of every living creature we can identify inhabiting the Titanic<\/em> wreck site to understand this unique deep-sea ecosystem,\u201d says Ross, who specializes in corals, fish, and submarine canyons for the University of North Carolina Wilmington\u2019s Center for Marine Science.<\/p>\n\n\n\n OceanGate Expeditions of Nassau, Bahamas, is commissioning the 2022 Titanic<\/em> Survey Expedition. The British luxury passenger ship sank during its maiden voyage in 1912 and rests over two miles deep off the coast of Newfoundland. Today, the ship serves as a refuge for corals, squat lobsters, brittle stars, and rattail fish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ross, whose previous research has included support from North Carolina Sea Grant and NOAA, will collect HD video and photography, conduct environmental DNA analysis, and gather other data. His team will descend to the site in OceanGate\u2019s Titan, the world\u2019s only five-person submersible capable of withstanding such depths.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cEvery time we do a deep-sea mission, we discover something new that is unexpected,\u201d says Ross. \u201cAnticipating new discoveries is very exciting. Will we discover a new species or new predatory behaviors? A whole range of things is possible.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014 adapted from a news release from UNCW<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Joshua Himmelstein, a Ph.D. student in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill\u2019s Institute of Marine Sciences, is the recipient of the 2022 joint fellowship from North Carolina Sea Grant and the Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuary Partnership. Himmelstein will install sensors across coastal North Carolina marshes to study sediment delivery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis project will provide novel information on how sediment is distributed across saltmarshes, helping us to better understand the vulnerability of this important coastal habitat to sea-level rise,\u201d says Tim Ellis, APNEP\u2019s quantitative ecologist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Himmelstein works with Antonio Rodriguez, coastal geologist at IMS. Rodriguez says that tidal creeks across coastal North Carolina are \u201cfilling in with sediment\u201d at a time when many of the adjacent marshes are losing elevation relative to sea level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n John Fear, deputy director of North Carolina Sea Grant and the North Carolina Water Resources Research Institute, says Himmelstein\u2019s project helps address an ongoing mystery in marsh dynamics. \u201cCoastal marshes are an important nursery area for estuarine species and an extremely productive ecosystem,\u201d Fear adds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The joint fellowship, now in its sixth year, supports graduate students from institutions based in North Carolina who conduct applied research within the North Carolina portion of the Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuary Partnership region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n funding opportunities <\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuary Partnership <\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014 Lauren D. Pharr<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n North Carolina Museums Council has named the N.C. Maritime Museum at Southport the recipient of the 2022 Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion Award for its work last year to make the museum more accessible for patrons of all ages and abilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In particular, the museum\u2019s director Lori Sanderlin and curator of education Katy Menne introduced a semi-guided, multi-lingual tour, as well as tactile maps, to accommodate deaf visitors and people with low vision or total blindness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHaving the museum selected for this award is indescribable,\u201d Menne says. \u201cThis award is all thanks to the support of the Southport Lions Club and N.C. Department of Health and Human Services.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The N.C. Maritime Museum at Southport tells the story of the Cape Fear region and its people. The museum shares tales of pirates and pillage, blockade running and riverfront archaeology, and other nautical adventures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI am so pleased with the changes at the museum over the past four years,\u201d Sanderlin adds. \u201cWe really want the museum to be a place in the community where visitors and locals see it as a welcoming space for all people to learn and enjoy maritime history.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n N.C. Maritime Museum at Southport<\/strong><\/a><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014 from a story by the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Five North Carolina graduate students recently began new coastal and water resource fellowships. North Carolina Sea Grant and the North Carolina Water Resources Research Institute are supporting four students\u2019 research projects, and the state\u2019s Urban Water Consortium is funding a fifth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Topics include PFAS removal, flooding, a potential new source of drinking water, and oyster reef breakwater designs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis group of projects will provide much-needed insight for several grand challenges facing our state,\u201d says John Fear, deputy director for North Carolina Sea Grant and North Carolina Water Resources Research Institute (WRRI). \u201cThe quality of proposals and projects generated by our state\u2019s universities continues to impress me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n This year\u2019s fellows currently study at four North Carolina universities:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Past recipients of the joint fellowship from North Carolina Sea Grant and the North Carolina Water Resources Research Institute have included several noted researchers, such as Austin Gray, whose latest study we highlight on page 45 of this issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n North Carolina Sea Grant\u2019s funding opportunities<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n WRRI\u2019s funding opportunities<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n about the Urban Water Consortium<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014 Justin Lindemann<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30 and includes an area covering the Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean Sea, and the Gulf of Mexico. NOAA reports that for the last 30 years, the Atlantic season has averaged 14 named storms, seven hurricanes, and three major hurricanes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The first named storm usually forms in mid to late June, the first hurricane in early to mid- August, and the first major hurricane in late August or early September.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Residents and visitors to North Carolina\u2019s coast can refamiliarize themselves with evacuation zones and routes by consulting the resources below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Know Your Zone<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Conozca Su Zona<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n In conversation with members of the Enlace Latino NC team, people in the Latino and Latina community who were affected by hurricanes reported that language barriers and the lack of accessible information hampered prevention and recovery efforts. After listening to their needs, Enlace Latino NC has launched Prep\u00e1rate NC<\/em>, an online guide with resources for the hurricane season in Spanish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Prep\u00e1rate NC<\/em> provides practical and educational tools to help mitigate the great risks that the Latino and Latina community faces from the impact of hurricanes. The online guide provides resources designed to be useful before, during, and after hurricanes hit, including practical recommendations about how to reduce damage to the home, the most convenient evacuation routes, and how to purchase insurance that will save thousands of dollars on repairs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition, Prep\u00e1rate NC<\/em> includes directions to shelters, instructions on what to do in a power outage, and how to respond if the streets are flooded. The site also includes post-storm tips on returning home safely, doing repairs, collecting flood insurance, accessing temporary housing, and seeking assistance from both the state and non-governmental organizations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Prep\u00e1rate NC<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014 adapted from a press release from Enlace Latino NC<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Demand for native plants has increased as more people plan for nature-enhancing landscapes. But is the industry poised to deliver?<\/p>\n\n\n\n At a presentation at the Green & Growin\u2019 education conference in Greensboro, North Carolina Sea Grant\u2019s Jane Harrison pointed to findings from a survey of the state\u2019s plant nurseries. Sea Grant\u2019s Coastal Landscapes Initiative (CLI) sponsored the survey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A mix of different-sized commercial plant growers in North Carolina responded, says Harrison, coastal economics specialist for Sea Grant. The majority of growers reported offering a mix of both native and non-native species. Most (67%) said demand for native plants has increased over the last five years, while less than one-third reported demand stayed the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Growers also named their top five native plants, based on sales. Southern wax myrtle, native hollies, and oaks topped their lists. Virginia sweetspire, pink muhly grass, milkweed, river birch, dogwood, and Joe Pye weed also were common.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition to Harrison, the team that developed the survey and analyzed results included North Carolina Sea Grant\u2019s Gloria Putnam, N.C. Cooperative Extension\u2019s Tanya Lamo and Lloyd Singleton, and Kathy Mitchell of Coastal Roots Garden Design.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Coastal Landscapes Initiative<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"image:](\"https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2022\/06\/2x-NC-Sea-Grant-Announces-2022\u20132024-Core-Projects.png\")
<\/a>NC Sea Grant Announces 2022\u20132024 Core Research Projects<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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![\"image:](\"https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2022\/06\/Expedition-Explores-the-Titanics-Deep-Sea-Ecosystem-scaled.jpeg\")
<\/a>Expedition Explores the Titanic\u2019s Deep-Sea Ecosystem<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2022\/06\/NC-Sea-Grant-and-APNEP-Name-New-Joint-Fellow-Joshua-Himmelstein.png\")
<\/a>NC Sea Grant and APNEP Name New Joint Fellow<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Lori](\"https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2022\/06\/Southports-Maritime-Museum-Wins-Inclusion-Award-by-Gerry-Brabham-scaled.jpg\")
<\/a>Southport\u2019s Maritime Museum Wins Inclusion Award<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"image:](\"https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2022\/06\/Screen-Shot-2022-06-21-at-4.02.38-PM.png\")
<\/a>New Fellows Investigate Flooding, PFAS, and More<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Hurricane Season Is Here: Know Your Zone<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2022\/06\/Hurricane-Season-Is-Here-English-1-of-2-scaled.jpg\")
<\/img><\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n![\"image:](\"https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2022\/06\/Online-Guide-Offers-Resources-in-Spanish-for-Hurricane-Season.png\")
<\/a>Online Guide Offers Resources in Spanish for Hurricane Season<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"image:](\"https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2022\/06\/Demand-Rises-for-Native-Plants.png\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nDemand Rises for Native Plants<\/h2>\n\n\n\n