The mating calls of dog-day cicadas are one of nature’s familiar sounds of summer that, when they go silent, signal the changing of the seasons.
Commentary
Editor’s Desk: One Story Ends, Another Begins
Mark Hibbs takes over as editor of Coastal Review Online as our founding editor, Frank Tursi, prepares to retire after almost four decades in journalism.
Sam’s Field Notes: Banding Baby Pelicans
Our naturalist, Sam Bland, takes you to New Dump Island in Core Sound on an expedition to band baby brown pelicans.
Guest Column: Costly Catfish Trade Barrier
North Carolina seafood dealer Justin Conrad says a federal program created under the guise of improving food safety is nothing more than a trade barrier to imported catfish, one that also puts the state’s agriculture-export business at risk.
Guest Column: Seismic Tests Won’t Harm Fish
The president of the only trade group for companies and people involved in seismic testing for oil and natural gas says there’s no evidence that the tests harm fish as some environmental groups now claim.
Sam’s Field Notes: Painted Buntings
Birdwatchers on the N.C. coast love this time of year because it brings the arrival of one of their favorites, the strikingly colorful painted bunting,
Sam’s Field Notes: The Northern Harrier
The northern harrier, also known as marsh hawk or gray ghost, is a distinctive coastal bird with a stealthy hunting style and, like the fighter jet that shares its name, an ability to hover and perform vertical takeoffs and landings.
Commentary: Many Davids Beat Goliath
Titan was a “Goliath,” toppled by ordinary people who waged an extraordinary campaign to protect their quality of life and environment, writes Todd Miller.
Guest Column: Hottest Year Chills Claim
2015 goes down as the hottest year in recorded history, blowing away the previous record and the claim that climate change has leveled off since the late 1990s.
Guest Column: Seismic Tests Critical
Donald R. van der Vaart, the secretary of the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality, responds to congressmen who oppose proposed seismic tests off North Carolina.
Guest Column: ‘Island Time’ on Hatteras
Life slows down on Hatteras Island in the winter. The tourists are gone, and most of the shops are closed. January is a time for beach combing and catching up with neighbors.
Sam’s Field Notes: Eastern Red Cedar
The eastern red cedar, which thrives in dunes along the N.C. coast, has long been important to wildlife and man, and some native Americans consider it sacred.
Sam’s Field Notes: Coastal Thanksgiving
The tradition of showing appreciation for what we have seems most appropriate here on the coast where serenity, beauty and wonders of nature are abundant.
Sam’s Field Notes: Sure Signs of Fall
The little, yellow sulphur butterflies flitting about this time of year are sure signs that autumn is upon us. The fall equinox, marking the celestial start of fall, is Wednesday morning.
Coastal Review Gets Conservation Award
The N.C. Wildlife Federation has named Coastal Review Online “Conservation Communicator of the Year,” an award to be presented Saturday at a banquet in Cary.
Guest Column: The State of Predators
Sharks splashed across headlines this summer but not reported is that many shark species are near extinction and that could upset entire marine ecosystems.
