The estuaries least glamorous of beings — bacteria — drive the entire ecosystem and play a crucial role in the birth of mercury’s most insidious form.
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State Tries to Grapple with Mercury
Every water body in North Carolina is polluted with this potent toxin, with the highest concentrations in coastal waters. The state has a plan it says will begin to bring those levels down.
Lea-Hutaff Island, a Restful Respite
The deserted beaches, shifting shoals and expansive marshes of Lea-Hutaff Island along the southeast coast make it a needed haven for many bird species.
Coastal Law: Mega-Dumps and Beaches
Two recent court cases — one dealing with a state law on large landfills and the other with condemned buildings on the public-trust beach — may have far-reaching implications.
Federation Wins Home Builders’ Award
The Wilmington-Cape Fear Home Builders Association gave the federation its 2012 Coastal Green Built Award, a symbol of the growing relationship between the two disparate groups.
Invest in Polaroid?
Metaphorically speaking, that’s what the state legislature will be doing if it passes a foolish bill on sea-level rise.
Sea-Level Rise Debate May Move to Raleigh
The N.C. General Assembly may consider a bill that would prevent the state from planning for the higher seas that many scientists expect later this century as the climate warms.
Now That’s a Jumbo Shrimp
The invasive tiger shrimp, which can be 13 inches long and weigh a quarter pound, may now be reproducing in N.C. waters. We may have to learn to love it.
‘No Child Left Inside’
Every year, the federation’s educators take kids out of the classroom to plant marshes, create oyster reefs, build rain gardens and learn about the natural wonders of our coast.
State Marine Fisheries Division May Disappear
The state legislature is contemplating merging the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries and the Wildlife Resources Commission.
Washing Boats While Keeping the Water Clean Too
Methods — some expensive, some cheap — exist that allow marinas and boatyards to power wash boats without polluting the water in the process.
Boat Washing Often Fouls Coastal Waters
Citing a lack of money and staff, state regulators do little to ensure that marinas and boatyards follow the law when power washing boats.
Plans for Old Coast Guard Base Raise Trepidation
Neighbors of the old Coast Guard base in Buxton worry about stormwater controls after developers announce plans to buy and restore the property.
Environmental Agencies May Face Smaller Cuts
It looks like the N.C. General Assembly will spare the regional offices of the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources but may cut its budget again.
Rare Butterfly Begins to Stir Among Dunes
Along a 30-mile stretch of the central N.C. coastline what may be the rarest butterfly in the world is awakening from its winter slumber.
Manteo’s Rain Garden Lady
Mary Ann Hodges, a teacher at Manteo Middle School, knows that kids can learn from doing something as simple as planting a tree.
