The Army Corps of Engineers has launched a $1.3 million research project in Currituck Sound to collect long-term data that should help scientists monitor water quality in the sound and understand the effects of climate change.
Science
Crystal Skipper Earns Species Status
The rare crystal skipper butterfly has the unusual distinctions of being a newly identified species that’s found only along a small section of the central N.C. coast.
Annual Christmas Rite Begins Next Week
Yes, it’s time once again for the annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count, and the N.C. chapter invites birdwatchers to participate in the longest-running, citizen science survey that will help shape the future of birds and climate science nationwide.
Plugging Into the Gulf Stream?
Scientists are studying whether the huge amount of water that the Gulf Stream moves past our coast each second could be harnessed as a clean source of renewable energy.
Changes in Atlantic Sooner Than Expected
An area of cold, fresh water in the otherwise warming, salty north Atlantic, could hasten sea-level rise on the East Coast and affect climate patterns worldwide
Where Eagles Dare, Scientists Now Watch
Yangchen, a young female bald eagle, recovered from lead poisoning and now leads the life of a soaring starlet as her GPS tracker allows you to follow the flight of an eagle.
Toxic Algae Threatens Bald Eagles
A recently identified deadly neurotoxin produced by algae found on the underside of an invasive aquatic plant has been linked to numerous bald eagle deaths.
Duke to Conjure ‘MAGIC’ of Oil from Algae
The Duke University Marine Lab in Beaufort received a $5 million grant to lead the Marine Algae Industrialization Consortium, or MAGIC, to study algae as a source of biofuels and protein.
Fish Respond to Warming Ocean
Researcher Chuck Bangley has evidence that North Carolina is seeing some of the biggest changes in fish behavior resulting from warming ocean temperatures.
‘Citizen Scientists’ Join Groundwater Study
Volunteer “citizen scientists” are helping in an ECU study to determine the relationship between sea-level rise and the groundwater table on Bogue Banks.
Research Efforts Take Flight with Drones
Unmanned aerial vehicles or drones offer area scientists new possibilities for research in otherwise hard-to-reach areas and difficult marine environments.
Saltwater Intrusion: The Parts You Can’t See
The quality of the water, the nutrients in the soil and the exchange of greenhouse gasses hang in the balance as saltwater moves farther inland than it ever has before. Five researchers are working to help people prepare for what’s ahead.
Study Looks to Locals on Saltwater Intrusion
Five researchers are investigating the future risks of saltwater intrusion on the Albemarle-Pamlico peninsula and how the area’s residents will play a role in conserving their natural resources.
Saltwater Intrusion Is Changing the Coast
Saltwater’s slow movement inland has accelerated in recent years. It kills trees, harms crops, destroys the very land itself. Its effects are particularly pronounced in the agricultural region between the Albemarle and Pamlico sounds.
What Causes Dolphin, Whale Strandings?
Experts debate what causes dolphins and whales to wash up on shores dead, like the three bottlenose dolphins that were stranded on Ocracoke Island during the winter of 2013-14.
Seals’ Appearance Is a Puzzle
A mix of seal species is appearing on N.C. beaches with more and more frequency, but no one knows why. Could it be a consequence of a changing climate? One Duke University scientist is determined to find out.
