The North Carolina Coastal Counties Fisheries Coalition, formed in response to the recently proposed ban on shrimp trawling in state waters, met for the first time this week in Morehead City, drawing numerous state and local elected officials.
Coastal North Carolina’s fossil record reveals giant ‘hell pigs’
A recent study published by Cambridge University Press finds that the “exceedingly rare” land mammal fossils from 20 million years ago that were found near Maysville fill “an important gap in our knowledge of this time interval and paleogeographic region.”
Linguists examine Ocracoke’s unique brogue in new book
“Language and Life on Ocracoke: The Living History of the Brogue” explores the isolated village’s once-prominent dialect now only spoken by a few hundred on the island.
Karen Amspacher fights for Down East, brushes off praise
When Gov. Josh Stein inducted the Core Sound Waterfowl Museum Director and nine others June 25 into the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, the highest civilian honor in the state, Amspacher didn’t tell a soul.
Report: State needs more fisheries scientists to meet goals
The mandated study of North Carolina’s fisheries management practices finds that the state, despite increasingly intense management measures, is failing to protect and enhance coastal fisheries, and it includes no recommendation on trawling.
The Longleaf Alliance seeks areas to harvest pine cone crops
Because of the anticipated seed shortage that comes with a low estimate of pine cone crops for the third consecutive year, the nonprofit Longleaf Alliance is scouting for potential low-density stands of mature longleaf pines to harvest seeds in the fall.
UNC study: Repeat flooding more widespread than thought
University of North Carolina Chapel Hill researchers used anonymous, address-level National Flood Insurance Program records and observational damage to create maps of 78 floods that three-quarters of the state experienced over 25 years to determine which buildings experienced flooding and how often.
Rik Freeman’s art examines America’s segregated beaches
An exhibit opening this weekend in Jacksonville features paintings by artist Rik Freeman of Washington, D.C., that depict stories of African American beach communities during the Jim Crow era.
Measure that would halt inshore shrimp trawling advances
A controversial bill in the North Carolina General Assembly that would ban shrimp trawling in inshore waters and offshore waters up to a half-mile gained momentum Tuesday.
Work to build statewide flood mitigation program continues
The North Carolina Flood Resiliency Blueprint is a program being built in three phases to provide communities help planning and preparing for flooding.
Aquarium’s comic-style gallery draws eyes to conservation
The N.C. Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores opened Friday a newly revamped gallery that uses vibrant panels, colorful sculptures and interactive displays to illustrate its coral conservation and aquaculture efforts.
Forecasters predict 13 to 19 named storms for 2025 season
National Weather Service forecasters are predicting the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season, which begins June 1 and ends Nov. 30, to have above-normal activity.
Secotan Alliance event ‘to bring Wingina out of the shadows’
The program, “In the Spirit of Wingina 2: Our Women, Our Words, Our Water,” set for May 30-31 in Nags Head and Manteo will highlight Chief Wingina’s Secotan Alliance, and general Indigenous environmental history, with a concentration on the roles of women.
Historian David Cecelski: Carolina coast still worth the fight
The recent shackling of the Environmental Protection Agency “foreshadows the breathtaking descent back into the worst days of our coastal past, when our estuaries, our beaches, our fisheries and the sources of our drinking water were a free-for-all, open to plunder, pillaging and poisoning.”
Agencies set to spread word on mandatory harvest reporting
Division of Marine Fisheries and Wildlife Resources Commission, the two agencies that manage state fisheries, are working to prepare recreational and commercial fishermen for the mandatory harvest reporting rules that are to go in effect Dec. 1.
Ocracoke Carvers Guild readies for 7th waterfowl festival
The celebration of Ocracoke’s waterfowl carving heritage is scheduled for April 11-12 in the Ocracoke School gym.
