After years of climate disasters across North Carolina, the newly approved state budget includes hundreds of millions of dollars for new programs and initiatives to address flooding and bolster resilience to storms.
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Coastal Habitat Protection Plan 2021 amendment approved
The Coastal Habitat Protection Plan’s 2021 amendment to the 2016 plan has been unanimously approved by the Coastal Resources, Environmental Management and Marine Fisheries commissions.
Mullet fishermen: A journey from Carteret County to Florida
The Florida fishing village known as Cortez has long been populated by folks with surnames that have for even longer been associated with the Bogue Sound area of North Carolina.
How to coexist with North Carolina’s wild foxes, coyotes
As more foxes and coyotes are spotted in developed coastal communities, Wildlife Resources Commission officials remind residents the importance of coexisting with these animals.
Storm drain sensors show more frequent nuisance flooding
“We’ve already started seeing how coastal communities are experiencing flooding more often than they were before and especially on sunny days, outside of storm events when tides are particularly high,” says UNC researcher Miyuki Hino.
Estuaries, though small, have huge economic impact: report
These small areas where rivers mix with salt water in coastal regions contribute a significant amount to the country’s economy, according to a recent update to a decade-old report on the economics of estuaries.
Feds withdraw plan to scale back red wolf protections in NC
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service cited recent court decisions and public comments about the 2018 proposal to remove most private land in the 1.7-million-acre recovery area in Hyde, Tyrrell, Dare, Beaufort and Washington counties.
Duke to study offshore wind energy’s effects on marine life
With a recently announced $7.5 million federal grant, Duke University is leading a research project to better understand how offshore wind development can affect marine species.
Recognition of migratory fish’s value predates colonization
Migratory fish have long played a significant role in the recreational and commercial fisheries that contribute to the economy of North Carolina and their value was recognized long before European settlement, but overfishing has taken a toll in more recent times.
Leadership, action needed to reduce plastic pollution
“Our coast is quite literally our lifeline. And it is being increasingly sabotaged by plastic. So why aren’t our businesses and policy-makers doing something about it? ” writes Oceana’s Randy Sturgill.
Town creates fund for UNCW’s study of living shoreline
St. James recently took the unusual step of creating an endowment for University of North Carolina Wilmington research and work related to the Brunswick County town’s living shorelines, but townsfolk here have long recognized the power of the mighty oyster.
Island centenarian and a pirate shared a name, maybe more
William Howard, who purchased Ocracoke Island back in 1759, had the same name as a notorious pirate who, decades earlier, was Capt. Benjamin Hornigold’s quartermaster and sailed with Blackbeard, but was this mere coincidence or were they one and the same?
New research detects hurricane history hidden in tree rings
Research using core samples from trees in coastal savannas to reconstruct rainfall amounts from tropical cyclones of the past 300 years shows that storms are moving more slowly and dumping more and more rain.
More than recipes: ‘Island Born and Bred’ a slice of life
The award-winning cookbook, which was originally intended as a church fundraiser nearly 35 years ago and is now available again, contains not only recipes but also sketches and stories that provide a glimpse of life in a coastal N.C. fishing village that has seen dramatic change.
Fish study’s findings trigger consumption advisory update
A recent study that showed fish favored by subsistence fishers along the Brunswick and Cape Fear rivers were found to have elevated levels of arsenic, hexavalent chromium and mercury has prompted a state health advisory.
Paddlers’ trip highlights issues, beauty along the Pamlico
Sound Rivers’ Environmental Projects Coordinator Clay Barber and Pamlico-Tar Riverkeeper Jill Howell recently spent five days paddling the Pamlico River and its estuaries with Miller the pup on a mission to document environmental conditions.
