Coastal communities face a looming threat as wildfires stoked by the forces of climate change make effective land management, preparedness and response more important than ever.
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Court upholds that trawling doesn’t violate Clean Water Act
Federal court judges upheld last week a 2021 district court decision that commercial shrimpers can continue to harvest by trawler in the Pamlico Sound without a Clean Water Act permit.
Settlement reached in challenge over red wolf management
Wildlife conservation groups announced Wednesday a court settlement with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that ensures continuation of successful management strategies and public engagement to restore the world’s only population of wild red wolves in northeastern North Carolina.
Sea turtle center unveils nest barrier tape that informs, too
The Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center in Topsail Beach is now using a new type of biodegradable marker tape that can help educate the public about the creatures’ plight.
Crafty fly fisher Kristi Irvin finds joy in tying one on
The Kitty Hawk resident is no stereotypical fly fisher, but she may have learned a thing or two from some who were.
Abundant elsewhere, NC’s blue crab population dwindles
The state’s commercial harvests of blue crabs topped 67 million pounds in the mid ’90s, but there’s been a generally steady decline ever since, and while overfished, that’s not the only reason.
Oral histories hold key to recording environmental change
A rising junior at UNC Chapel Hill, Tara Hinton has spent her summer listening to oral histories and researching how Down East Carteret County residents are responding to changes in the environment.
The migrants in potato fields during the Great Depression
Historian David Cecelski discovers a chapter in eastern NC’s history about the migrant farm workers that harvested crops in the 1930s and ’40s while exploring Farm Security Administration photographs at the Library of Congress.
NC Coastal Federation to recognize conservation efforts
The North Carolina Coastal Federation is recognizing Saturday environmental stewards devoted to protecting the state’s coast.
Saltwater fish may be in future Cape Fear health advisories
Results of saltwater fish tissue currently being analyzed for perfluorooctane sulfonic acid, or PFOS, are expected later this year, wrapping up a study of multiple species of fish collected from the Cape Fear River.
Murphy assures Dare board: Corps will do study if funded
The Corps of Engineers is committed to conducting the required feasibility study of a sand project along the highly erosion-prone Rodanthe beach on the Cape Hatteras National Seashore if funded, Rep. Greg Murphy has told Dare County officials.
Make the most of fish you catch and keep: go-to methods
Capt. Gordon doesn’t always keep the fish he catches, but when he does, he has a variety of tried and true preparations guaranteed to please.
Study is first to sample NC rivers, streams for microplastics
North Carolina researchers have estimated the amount of plastic pollution the size of grains of sand that are entering the Pamlico Sound from the Neuse River Basin. It’s a lot.
Ongoing study may show overlooked algal bloom causes
A year into a 30-month public science study, preliminary data appears to show that higher than expected nutrient loads in minor tributaries may contribute to increasingly regular and persistent blue-green algal blooms in northeastern North Carolina rivers.
Red knots make Outer Banks stopover on spring migration
Red knots, which stopover on Ocracoke during their spring migration, have been a source of concern due to the rapid decline of its population linked to a drastic decrease of their food source, horseshoe crab eggs.
Analysis: Farm Act axes motive to protect shoreline trees
Water quality advocates worry that the reduced civil penalty in this year’s Farm Act for removing trees in riparian buffers may result in tree loss in protected shorelines.
