Research teams across the state will soon begin work on North Carolina Sea Grant\u2019s new core projects. Scientists are applying innovative approaches to coastal resilience, species and habitat preservation, changing ecosystem dynamics, community education, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe are excited about the interdisciplinary nature of these research efforts,\u201d says Susan White, executive director of North Carolina Sea Grant. \u201cThese projects reach across multiple public and private partnerships that will positively impact NC’s coastal communities and ecosystems.\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. Partners include the North Carolina Coastal Federation, North Carolina Cooperative Extension, Tier I county school systems, and the communities of Topsail Beach, Surf City, and North Topsail Beach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
NOAA funds these projects through the National Sea Grant College Program, along with matching funds from the state and the campuses leading the research. Pending federal appropriations, the following studies will begin soon:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Employing Proven Restoration Approaches to Recover and Expand Essential Seagrass Habitat in NC<\/strong> Evaluating the Influence of Sediment Microbial Community Composition and Salinity on Smooth Cordgrass (Sporabolus alterniflorus<\/em>) Seedling Survival and Growth<\/strong> Investigating Drivers and Processes of Soil Salinization and Saltwater Intrusion in Coastal Agricultural Communities of Eastern North Carolina<\/strong> Understanding the Long-Term Effects of Community Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies on North Carolina Barrier Island Futures through Collaborative Science<\/strong> Building Resilience in Oyster Aquaculture in the Face of Recurring Mortality Events<\/strong> Estimating Natural Mortality and Recruitment for Reef Fish Species in the Southeast<\/strong> Estimating Predation Pressure on North Carolina Blue Crabs in a Changing Estuary<\/strong> Anthropogenic Impacts in Oysters of North Carolina: Metal and Microplastic Contamination<\/strong> Community READY: Building a More Resilient Coast through Education and Change led by Youth<\/strong> For project updates, follow North Carolina Sea Grant on X<\/a>, Facebook<\/a>, and Instagram<\/a> and learn more about Sea Grant funding opportunities<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Research teams across the state will soon begin work on North Carolina Sea Grant\u2019s new core projects. Scientists are applying innovative approaches to coastal resilience, species and habitat preservation, changing…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":112,"featured_media":21246,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"ncst_custom_author":"","ncst_show_custom_author":false,"ncst_dynamicHeaderBlockName":"ncst\/default-post-header","ncst_dynamicHeaderData":"{\"caption\":\"ECU\u2019s Alex Manda (right) will lead one of nine new research projects
Joel Fodrie, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, principal investigator<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rachel Gittman, East Carolina University, principal investigator<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Alex Manda, East Carolina University, principal investigator<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Laura Moore, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, principal investigator<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tal Ben-Horin, North Carolina State University, principal investigator<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff Buckel, North Carolina State University, principal investigator<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Janet Nye, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, principal investigator<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Stephen Skrabal, University of North Carolina Wilmington, principal investigator<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kathryn Stevenson, North Carolina State University, principal investigator<\/p>\n\n\n\n
for North Carolina Sea Grant. Credit: Matt Smith.\",\"showAuthor\":true,\"showDate\":true,\"showFeaturedVideo\":false}","ncst_content_audit_freq":"","ncst_content_audit_date":"","ncst_backToTopFlag":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_ncst_magazine_issue":[],"displayCategory":null,"yoast_head":"\n