{"id":30683,"date":"2025-04-03T19:04:54","date_gmt":"2025-04-03T23:04:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/?p=30683"},"modified":"2025-04-10T10:25:41","modified_gmt":"2025-04-10T14:25:41","slug":"spring-2025-currents","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/spring-2025-currents\/","title":{"rendered":"Currents"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n\n
\"ECU<\/a>
Alex Manda (right) investigates the effects of soil salinization and saltwater on crops. Credit: ECU.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Crop Resilience Project Earns New Funding<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

With new funding from the National Sea Grant Office, East Carolina University\u2019s Alex Manda will extend his resilience research in eastern North Carolina communities. Manda, a geologist, has been investigating the effects of soil salinization and saltwater intrusion on crop production.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Manda is helping coastal farming communities in Hyde County by providing them with tailored information and guidance to manage risks from saltwater. The project will create a \u201chigh salinity alert system\u201d to notify farmers when they need to make shifts or take action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Manda\u2019s team also will recruit students and community members through NC Cooperative Extension and with other partners to share knowledge during and after the project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Amid extreme and frequent weather events and risks to the coast, NOAA\u2019s National Sea Grant Office is making investments to enhance engagement, technical assistance, education, and research to address climate and weather impacts in communities across the country. Manda\u2019s project launched last year with a core research award from North Carolina Sea Grant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More on North Carolina Sea Grant’s resilience effort<\/a>s<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More on funding opportunities<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

More from Coastwatch<\/em> on coastal resilience<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 Carrie Clower<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Sea Grant Loses a Giant<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\"image:<\/a>
Former North Carolina Sea Grant director Ron Hodson, with one of his hybrid striped bass.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Ron Hodson, a leader in North Carolina\u2019s aquaculture industry, passed away on February 17, 2025. He served North Carolina Sea Grant from 1981 until his retirement in 2006.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hodson grew up on his family\u2019s farm in Trotwood, Ohio, the start of his lifelong journey in fisheries and aquaculture. He credited his upbringing with his being \u201ca natural\u201d in this field of study, earning a doctorate in fisheries sciences from Texas A&M University.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1981, he joined North Carolina Sea Grant as its associate director and became the program\u2019s director in 1998. Hodson\u2019s work expanding the state\u2019s commercial hybrid striped bass aquaculture industry helped transform the seafood market while improving rural economic development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following his tenure as program director for nine years, Hodson retired in 2006 from both North Carolina Sea Grant and the Department of Zoology at NC State University, where he was a faculty member. For his years of career achievements and service, Hodson received The Order of the Long Leaf Pine from the Governor of North Carolina, the state\u2019s highest honor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To his colleagues, he was a hard-working man without any pretenses. \u201cRon was my first Sea Grant director,\u201d says Katie Mosher, North Carolina Sea Grant\u2019s former communications director. \u201cHe taught me not only the value of applied science helping communities, but also strategies for being a good supervisor and mentor.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eric Herbst, coastal aquaculture specialist for North Carolina Sea Grant, credits Hodson with igniting his love of the field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy first experience witnessing aquaculture extension was Ron coming down to North State Fisheries, a hybrid striped bass farm in Pinetown, North Carolina, and pulling three or four all-nighters in a row helping the farm manager spawn fish. It left a big impression on me,\u201d Herbst says. \u201cI wanted to be like Ron.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On behalf of North Carolina Sea Grant, we hope his family and friends find comfort and peace in the legacy he has left with us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read about Hodson\u2019s life and achievements in his obituary.<\/a>

Read Coastwatch\u2019s <\/em>piece on Hodson in honor of his retirement.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you consider making a memorial donation in support of the Pamlico Aquaculture Field Lab research activities, about which Ron was so passionate. Your donation would help support students, research, and outreach activities that continue to build on the work Ron began in Aurora many years ago. You can make a donation here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 Carrie Clower<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Madeline<\/a>
Sea Grant-APNEP Fellow Madeline Payne surveying sea grass in Akumal, Mexico.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

NC Sea Grant and APNEP Name New Joint Fellow<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Madeline Payne, a Ph.D. student in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill\u2019s Environment, Ecology, and Energy Program, is the winner of the 2025 joint fellowship from North Carolina Sea Grant and the Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuary Partnership. She will investigate how changing coastal landscapes affect the role of seagrasses in aquatic ecosystems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMadeline\u2019s work will fill a knowledge gap about what is going on at the deepwater edge of our subaquatic vegetation habitats,\u201d says John Fear, North Carolina Sea Grant\u2019s deputy director. Payne\u2019s project will use remote sensing and spatial analysis to understand how seagrasses respond to changing environmental conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBy understanding the impacts of inlet widening, hurricanes, and water clarity on seagrasses, this research will be critical for enhancing the resilience of these vital coastal ecosystems,\u201d says Aman Kohli, North Carolina Sea Grant\u2019s research and program coordinator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

North Carolina has the most seagrass of anywhere along the Atlantic coast, according to Tim Ellis, APNEP\u2019s quantitative ecologist. \u201cBut this ecologically and economically important estuarine resource is declining,\u201d he says. \u201cProjects like Madeline Payne\u2019s will improve conservation and management strategies.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Payne currently is North Carolina Sea Grant\u2019s Hook, Line & Science<\/a> Communication Fellow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More on the NC Sea Grant\/ANEP fellowship<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 Carrie Clower<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Plans<\/a>
Satellite imaging of marine debris off the coast of Cape Lookout National Seashore. Credit: North Carolina Sea Grant & Fathom Science.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

New Project Tracks Marine Debris<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

 Fathom Science and North Carolina Sea Grant are collaborating to address the increase of marine debris and plastic pollution. The NOAA-funded project will employ cutting-edge ocean modeling, satellite imaging, and machine learning to track and mitigate marine debris.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re excited to bring new technological solutions to a critical environmental issue,\u201d says Fathom Science\u2019s Naz Chaichitehrani. \u201cBy integrating satellite data and advanced ocean modeling, we will be able to predict the movement of marine debris, offering real-time solutions that can be scaled globally.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By providing data on the locations of marine debris, the initiative will enable faster and more efficient cleanup. Fathom Science\u2019s expertise in remote sensing and ocean prediction will dovetail with North Carolina Sea Grant’s community engagement and educational outreach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis partnership highlights the power of collaboration between science and community engagement,\u201d says Susan White, executive director of North Carolina Sea Grant. \u201cBy combining our resources and knowledge, we will not only improve marine health but also raise awareness and involve local communities in addressing this global challenge.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The project also will develop an online public dashboard of marine debris locations, forecasting debris movements and enabling communities to participate in debris removal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More from Fathom Science<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"C\u00e9ilidh<\/a>
C\u00e9ilidh Christie (left) & Mazzy Morrison (right).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

UNCW Students Win Coastal Resilience Team Competition<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Students from the University of North Carolina Wilmington are winners of North Carolina Sea Grant\u2019s Resilience Team Competition funding. The award provides up to $20,000 to conduct a two-year project that will lead to more resilient habitats and communities on North Carolina\u2019s coastal plain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Master\u2019s student C\u00e9ilidh Christie and undergraduate Mazzy Morrison, under the direction of Lori Sutter and Bradley Tolar, will investigate the consequences of tidal freshwater forest wetlands becoming ghost forests<\/a> along the Cape Fear River. All four represent UNCW\u2019s Department of Biology and Marine Biology, and both students are part of Tolar\u2019s Lab.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWetlands serve many essential ecosystem services, including carbon sequestration and storage,\u201d says Christie. \u201cThe accumulation of carbon is a key feature of their resilience, because it allows the marsh to adjust its elevation relative to local water levels.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

John Fear, North Carolina Sea Grant\u2019s deputy director, says changes in coastal ecosystems have implications for resilience. \u201cUnderstanding how our coastal systems are responding to various forces is critical to creating practical solutions and ensuring the best management options are utilized,\u201d Fear adds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The project also will raise awareness through UNCW\u2019s MarineQuest K-12 educational program,<\/a> as well as with potential content for the NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More on the Coastal Resilience Team Competition<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 <\/em>Carrie Clower<\/p>\n\n\n\n

FROM THE SPRING 2025 ISSUE<\/a><\/strong>
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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