During Great Outdoors Month this month, managers of state and federal lands urge visitors to protect their natural lands and wildlife.
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Flood-resilience study reveals solutions, big challenges
The large-scale Stoney Creek project in Wayne County has shown that using natural and working lands to hold back stormwater can be an effective solution to repeated flooding of homes and infrastructure, but some places face a losing battle.
‘Ditch of Death’: Navigation in Hatteras Inlet dicey … again
Shoaling threatens navigation in economically vital Hatteras Inlet, prompting frustrated fishers to dub the South Ferry Channel the “Ditch of Death.” A consultant, responding to conditions, told the Dare County Waterways Commission Monday that continuing to dredge the passage appears “futile.”
Our Coast’s History: The Herring Workers
Charles Farrell’s photographs of herring workers from 1937-1941 remind us of a different time and perhaps give us a vision of what could be again if the Chowan River is restored to health, writes historian David Cecelski.
Piggish behavior when feeding earned hogfish their name
These predators hunt for food on the sea floor using their hog-like snouts to make meals of mollusks and crustaceans, but their sex lives are far more unusual than that of most farm animals.
Senate, House settle on spending caps, details to follow
House and Senate negotiators last week settled on increased budget ceilings for the next two years, but exact numbers by department have yet to be spelled out.
EPA revives climate change website, adds ‘indicators’ data
The Environmental Protection Agency recently reactivated its climate change website taken offline in 2017 and added new data, including information relevant to the NC coast.
Drones allow scientists a bird’s-eye view of seabird colonies
Instead of trekking on foot, a Duke University team used drones to count large seabird colonies on a small island chain off the Falkland Islands.
Plastics, lax enforcement blamed as roadside litter worsens
Volunteers who pick up litter along coastal NC roadways say plastic pollution is a growing part of the problem as the numbers of charges and convictions for littering dwindle.
Threats to seagrass could cost state’s economy millions
A new report from Duke University and NC State estimates economic losses associated with the decline of submerged aquatic vegetation in the Albemarle-Pamlico estuary could total $8.6 million in 10 years.
Consensus builds for major flood mitigation legislation
The House and Senate continue to address flood prevention and resilience in this year’s session of North Carolina General Assembly.
UNC professor, state track COVID-19 trends in wastewater
Dr. Rachel Noble’s lab at UNC-IMS is set to expand sampling of the state’s wastewater for signs of the virus that causes COVID-19.
GOP likely to block Delli-Gatti’s confirmation as DEQ chief
Senate Republicans said Wednesday they won’t confirm Dionne Delli-Gatti as the first woman to lead the state Department of Environmental Quality, a move Democrats say has nothing to do with qualifications.
Analysis: Why NC imposed new limits on spot, croaker
Recreational bag limits and commercial season closures for spot and Atlantic croaker announced earlier this spring were prompted by “moderate” concern about stocks, but state biologists say both species remain abundant.
Conservation Corps NC plugs first living shoreline project
Conservation Corps N.C.’s AmeriCorps crew joined the North Carolina Coastal Federation to work on shoreline projects along the coast last month.
Stormwater management can protect water quality: Study
Managing stormwater helps reduce the amount of pollution that ends up in the watershed, a recent study found.
