Coastal North Carolina is vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Photo by Baxter Miller.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nB<\/em>a<\/em>x<\/em>t<\/em>e<\/em>r Miller of Stancil, Miller, <\/em>& Co., with Barbara Garrity-<\/em> Blake of Duke Marine Lab,<\/em> Ch<\/em>r<\/em>i<\/em>s<\/em>ti<\/em>n<\/em>e Avenarius of East<\/em> C<\/em>a<\/em>r<\/em>o<\/em>li<\/em>n<\/em>a University, Karen<\/em> Willis Amspacher of the Core<\/em> Soun<\/em>d Waterfowl Museum<\/em> a<\/em>n<\/em>d Heritage Center, Alton Ballance of the N.C. Center<\/em> fo<\/em>r the Advancement of<\/em> T<\/em>e<\/em>a<\/em>c<\/em>h<\/em>i<\/em>n<\/em>g<\/em>, Ben Cahoon of<\/em> C<\/em>a<\/em>hoo<\/em>n & Kasten Architects<\/em> a<\/em>n<\/em>d the UNC Coastal Studies<\/em> F<\/em>ound<\/em>ati<\/em>o<\/em>n<\/em>, Stan Riggs of<\/em> Ea<\/em>s<\/em>t Carolina University, Ryan<\/em> Stancil of Bit & Grain, Susan West of Coastal Voices, and<\/em> J<\/em>e<\/em>s<\/em>s<\/em>i<\/em>c<\/em>a Whitehead of North<\/em> C<\/em>a<\/em>r<\/em>o<\/em>li<\/em>n<\/em>a Sea Grant. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nLiving at the water\u2019s edge, coastal North Carolinians are the gatekeepers of stories about coastal change and community resilience. Team leader Baxter Miller will combine coastal residents\u2019 insights on the past and perceptions of the future with modern fine art photography. Her goal is to create a new focal point for starting conversations about the increasing threats from climate change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe stories told by those who live, work, worship, celebrate, grieve and experience life on our coast often transcend political discourse,\u201d Miller explains. \u201cWe want to bring the stories out from behind the data, numbers and science and bring these narratives to life in a way that communicates the threats and the seriousness of these issues.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Inspiration for the project came from a helicopter tour that offered Miller a new perspective on the places she knew intimately from a childhood on the coast. \u201cRising above the surface to see this tiny spit of land, I gained a whole new apprecia- tion for the isolation and dynamic fragility of our barrier island system, as well as the resilience of its people.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Studying those photographs afterward, Miller and fellow team member Ryan Stancil \u201chad a lightbulb hit us both at the same time: We need to explore this with oral history.\u201d They recruited a number of well-known and respected community partners to join them, along with an expert on the science of climate change and community planning, Sea Grant\u2019s Jessica Whitehead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019ve given a lot of scientific presentations, but people always really want to know what climate change will do to their backyard,\u201d Whitehead says. \u201cIt\u2019s hard to connect with a line on a graph. But what your neighbor sees, and what it means for her life and livelihood, is a whole other story.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The partners plan to identify a diverse set of stakeholders for a series of oral history interviews that will be analyzed and synthesized alongside aerial photographs into a traveling exhibit. Stops will include locations on the coast, as well as in eastern North Carolina and in the Triangle. People also can follow along with the project via Facebook.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ensuring the research had a practical, outreach component was really important to the design of this project. \u201cPeople, including planners and community managers, don\u2019t necessarily take these things seriously until there\u2019s a perceived immediate threat. Our hope is to heighten awareness so planning occurs sooner rather than later,\u201d Miller says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
IDENTIFYING THE CRITERIA CONSUMERS USE TO SELECT VALUE-ADDED SEAFOOD<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nThe researchers seek to learn consumers\u2019 perceptions of aquacultured oysters. Photo Courtesy Locals Seafood.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nSpeckman, left, co-owns Locals Seafood with Lin Peterson. Photo Courtesy Locals Seafood.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nR<\/em>ya<\/em>n Speckman and Lin Peterson of<\/em> L<\/em>oc<\/em>a<\/em>l<\/em>s Seafood, with<\/em> T<\/em>o<\/em>m Armstrong of<\/em> V<\/em>i<\/em>nn<\/em>i<\/em>e<\/em>‘<\/em>s Steakhouse<\/em> a<\/em>n<\/em>d Tavern, and<\/em> B<\/em>a<\/em>r<\/em>r<\/em>y Nash of North<\/em> C<\/em>a<\/em>r<\/em>o<\/em>li<\/em>n<\/em>a Sea Grant<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nWould you be more willing to try local seafood at home if it required little time or skills in the kitchen? That\u2019s what the owners of Locals Seafood hope to find out by testing and developing ready-to-cook and ready- to-eat products like marinated fillets, dips and meal kits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe want to figure out how to get more local seafood on people\u2019s plates,\u201d explains co-owner Ryan Speckman, who describes Locals as an inland fish house. \u201cOur core belief is in helping North Carolina\u2019s seafood industry and this could be a way of providing new opportunities for expanding local markets.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As evidenced by the rise of pre-packaged foods and meal-kit businesses, many Americans are looking for fresh, healthy options that fit with busy lifestyles. \u201cNearly two-thirds of consumers believe protein aids weight loss and one-third believe it boosts metabolism. Marine species tend to be high in protein, low in fat and contain heart- healthy omega-3s,\u201d says team member Barry Nash, Sea Grant\u2019s seafood technology and marketing specialist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While convenience products aren\u2019t necessarily unique, this team will explore them from a new angle by focusing on less- known species caught by North Carolina commercial fishermen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe hope that adding convenience will increase the likelihood someone is willing to try something they have never heard of before, like cape shark or amberjack,\u201d Speckman notes. He adds that featuring underutilized fish also could help keep the final price points reasonable while still increasing what the fishermen get paid at the dock.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cProduct development is time- consuming and costly, and processors have limited capital. Sea Grant helps processors develop and safely manufacture healthy, transportable meals made with local seafood,\u201d Nash explains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He will lead focus groups and the distribution of a survey to learn consumers\u2019 preferences and expectations for taste, nutrition, convenience and price. Then, the team will give products developed by Chef Tom Armstrong of Vinnie\u2019s Steakhouse in Raleigh to individuals from the focus groups to try at home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They hope initially to present their findings at local conferences. The next step will be looking for ways to produce these food items on a larger scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBut first we need to develop the markets for these species and products. It\u2019s an opportunity to think outside the box and work together to come up with solutions,\u201d Speckman says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
INVESTIGATING BIOLOGICAL INVASIONS IN N.C. COASTS AND ESTUARIES: FROM A TO ZOMBIE<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nA parasite has been infecting North Carolina mud crabs, making them sterile and tricking the crabs into caring for the invader\u2019s young. Photo by April Blakeslee.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nApril Blakeslee and her students conduct surveys of the crabs along the Pamlico and Neuse rivers every six to eight weeks. Photo by April Blakeslee.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nA<\/em>p<\/em>ri<\/em>l M.H. Blakeslee of East Carolina<\/em> U<\/em>n<\/em>i<\/em>v<\/em>e<\/em>r<\/em>s<\/em>i<\/em>ty, with Tom Stroud and Russ<\/em> Che<\/em>s<\/em>s<\/em>o<\/em>n of the North Carolina Estuarium,<\/em> a<\/em>n<\/em>d Kayla Clark of East Carolina<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nAn invasion of the body snatchers is happening now in North Carolina\u2019s waters. Though not exactly the zombie apocalypse, this biological invasion could directly affect ecosystem services we care about, explains marine ecologist April Blakeslee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She studies L<\/em>o<\/em>x<\/em>ot<\/em>h<\/em>y<\/em>l<\/em>ac<\/em>u<\/em>s panopaei<\/em>, a parasitic barnacle that infects native N.C. mud crabs. Native to the Gulf of Mexico, the parasitic barnacle first arrived in the mid-Atlantic in the 1960s and has spread prolifically, sometimes infecting 90 percent of the local mud crabs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\u201cWhen the barnacle finds a mud crab, it hijacks the crab\u2019s internal physiology,\u201d Blakeslee explains. \u201cThey fool the crab into thinking they are caring for their young when really it\u2019s a sac-full of barnacle babies.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, the mud crabs may be able to escape this fate by retreating to areas of lower salinity, such as estuaries, where the barnacles cannot survive. The research team is studying multiple North Carolina estuary sites, looking for parasites and tracking other organisms that live alongside the crabs. Volunteers and students are helping with the sampling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The data even are available at the N.C. Estuarium in Washington.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The barnacle is just one of many invasive species wreaking havoc in coastal and estuarine ecosystems. Blakeslee and Kayla Clark, an art student at East Carolina University, developed a new exhibit featuring the crab \u201czombies\u201d and other unwelcome invaders. It launched at the Estuarium days before Halloween.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The interactive display, designed by Clark, focuses on biological invaders in North Carolina, specifically those that thrive in aquatic habitats. Live crabs \u2014 healthy and infected \u2014 are on display, along with the field data, photos and videos. She wants to make the exhibit appeal to young and old.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOur goal is to provide outreach and education about invasive species to local audiences, notably children visiting the Estuarium. Visitors also will learn how they can prevent the spread of invaders by not releasing unwanted pets into area waterways, cleaning boats of attached algae, plants or animals, cleaning boots, etc.,\u201d Blakeslee wrote in a Co<\/em>a<\/em>s<\/em>t<\/em>w<\/em>at<\/em>c<\/em>h Currents<\/em> blog post for the exhibit\u2019s opening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\u201cIn other words, every person can make a difference in conservation-related efforts,\u201d she adds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Clark had those audiences in mind, as well. \u201cMelding art and science is a mutually beneficial relationship,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cArtists, specifically graphic designers like myself, are trained to display information so it is consciously and subconsciously instantly digestible. This can be highly valuable in conveying scientific results to the public.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
IDENTIFYING COMMUNITY CAPITALS FOR A SUSTAINABLE TOURISM WORKFORCE ON OCRACOKE ISLAND<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nThe island is home to many landmarks, including the Ocracoke Lighthouse, one of the oldest operating lighthouses in the country. Photo by Vanda Lewis.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nOcracoke Island is rich in history. Photo by Vanda Lewis.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nW<\/em>h<\/em>i<\/em>t<\/em>n<\/em>e<\/em>y Knollenberg of North Carolina State<\/em> U<\/em>n<\/em>iv<\/em>e<\/em>r<\/em>s<\/em>i<\/em>ty, with David Tweedie of Ocracoke<\/em> A<\/em>li<\/em>v<\/em>e<\/em>!, David Griffith of East Carolina<\/em> U<\/em>n<\/em>i<\/em>v<\/em>e<\/em>r<\/em>s<\/em>i<\/em>ty, Barbara Garrity-Blake of Duke<\/em> U<\/em>n<\/em>iv<\/em>e<\/em>r<\/em>s<\/em>i<\/em>ty Marine Lab, and Jane Harrison of<\/em> No<\/em>r<\/em>t<\/em>h Carolina Sea Grant<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nOcracoke Island is a special place, with a close-knit feel that appeals to visitors and residents alike. Researcher Whitney Knollenberg wants to help keep that magic alive by helping the community understand what resources it needs to build, maintain and sustain its tourism workforce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOcracoke is isolated. It takes an hour ferry ride to get there. People are not going to commute there. Even with a well-paying seasonal job, buying a house and supporting a family there is really hard,\u201d explains Knollenberg, an expert on tourism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Knollenberg approached David Tweedie of Ocracoke Alive! with the project idea at the Festival Latino de Ocracoke, a celebration of the many Hispanic families who call the island home \u2014 and who play an important role in the tourism industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThey already know there are challenges, especially with housing. I\u2019m hoping this project will reveal what\u2019s working, what is attractive about living and working in Ocracoke \u2014 but also some of the things that can be improved.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Team members, including Sea Grant coastal economist Jane Harrison, will conduct interviews with employers and host bilingual focus groups with employees. Feedback will be used to determine the community\u2019s strengths when it comes to supporting tourism, as well as areas for future investment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The team will present findings at a community workshop, with hopes of identifying priority actions for the next five years. Knollenberg anticipates that they\u2019ll need to be creative to address community challenges. \u201cI can\u2019t put Ocracoke any closer to the mainland or create more land,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In many ways, she adds, \u201cit\u2019s a prime place to do sustainable workforce research. But it\u2019s also a challenging place to do it. In the end, though, it will be helpful for every person on the island to have a more sustainable, stable tourism workforce.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
COMMERCIALIZATION OF LOW-CALCIUM BLUE CRAB SHEDDING TECHNOLOGY<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nDavid Cerino, who heads the aquaculture department at Carteret Community College, is leading the study. Photo by Vanda Lewis.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nRemoving calcium carbonate from the water can slow the hardening process once crabs shed their shells. Photo by Vanda Lewis.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nD<\/em>a<\/em>v<\/em>i<\/em>d Cerino of Carteret<\/em> Commu<\/em>n<\/em>i<\/em>ty College, with Adam<\/em> T<\/em>yl<\/em>e<\/em>r of Marshallberg, N.C., Thomas <\/em>C<\/em>. McArthur III of the North Carolina<\/em> S<\/em>t<\/em>a<\/em>t<\/em>e University Marine Aquaculture<\/em> R<\/em>e<\/em>s<\/em>e<\/em>a<\/em>r<\/em>c<\/em>h Center, and Chuck Weirich<\/em> o<\/em>f North Carolina Sea Grant<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nLike new parents, soft-shell crab pro- ducers don\u2019t get a lot of sleep during the molting season. However, new technologies could help them reclaim their nights by extending the time the crabs stay soft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During the spring and early summer in North Carolina, blue crabs approaching their molt are collected from coastal waters and placed in crab-shedding systems consisting of a series of shallow tanks or trays through which water flows or recirculates. The tanks must be monitored every two to three hours for harvesting before the molted crabs begin to harden again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cExtending the time crabs stay soft could really help producers, especially those with limited staff and other obligations, such as other commercial fishing operations,\u201d says David Cerino, who heads the aquaculture department at Carteret Community College.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cerino leads a team in developing water-treatment processes that could give commercial producers using recirculating systems more flexibility in harvesting soft- shell crabs. The project is based on previous research funded by a Sea Grant minigrant that found reducing calcium in shedding systems increases the window for harvesting up to 24 hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe can take processes similar to those municipal water treatment systems use to soften water to remove calcium carbonate and other hardening substances,\u201d Cerino explains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lab tests will identify the most consistent and cost-effective water- treatment process before two commercial producers implement the low-calcium recirculating systems. The team then will monitor the systems\u2019 overall water quality, as well as crab survival and time available for harvesting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis research will allow us to develop a step-by-step protocol and estimate the cost of implementing low-calcium shedding systems on a commercial scale,\u201d states Chuck Weirich, Sea Grant marine aquaculture specialist and a member of the project team. \u201cThen, we can transfer this technology to other producers in the state.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This could help improve output of the soft-shell industry that already generates over $2 million annually. \u201cMarine aquaculture offers great opportunities for economic development on the coast. Advances such as this benefit not only producers but also consumers who love seafood,\u201d Weirich adds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
##<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
These are among the unique experiences galvanizing five new projects receiving funding from the N.C. Community Collaborative Research Grant program. In its second year, the program leverages support from the William R. Kenan Jr. Institute for Engineering, Technology and Science at North Carolina State University with funding from North Carolina Sea Grant.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":56,"featured_media":9321,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"views\/single-immersive.blade.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"ncst_custom_author":"Diana Hackenburg","ncst_show_custom_author":true,"ncst_dynamicHeaderBlockName":"ncst\/default-immersive-post-header","ncst_dynamicHeaderData":"{\"backgroundColor\":\"custombg_one\",\"caption\":\"One funded project will look at Ocracoke's tourist based-economy. Photo by Vanda Lewis.\",\"displayCategoryID\":732,\"showAuthor\":true,\"showDate\":true,\"showFeaturedVideo\":false}","ncst_content_audit_freq":"","ncst_content_audit_date":"","ncst_content_audit_display":false,"ncst_backToTopFlag":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[668,600,732,595],"tags":[],"_ncst_magazine_issue":[1472,1471],"class_list":["post-9177","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-668","category-coastal-cultures-and-histories","category-holiday-2017","category-seafood"],"displayCategory":{"term_id":732,"name":"Holiday 2017","slug":"holiday-2017","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":733,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":668,"count":9,"filter":"raw"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
WORKING TOGETHER: Communities Collaborate, Engage with Researchers - Coastwatch<\/title>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n