Researchers say excessive rainfall, rising sea levels and other factors are compounding the problems that cause sewage spills, and towns may be overwhelmed trying to address more and more wastewater system failures.
Science
Restoration Work A Test for Carbon Farming
Researchers say a project in northeastern N.C. to restore pocosin wetlands that were drained for agriculture could become a model system for capturing CO2, the greenhouse gas most associated with climate change.
Climate Change, Cities Make Storms Wetter
Two recently published studies show that urban development and the effects of climate change are contributing to the extreme rainfall and flooding of recent hurricanes.
Research: Hurricanes’ Effects on Estuaries
Research by Hans Paerl and his colleagues at the UNC Institute of Marine Sciences sheds new light on the effects increasingly frequent hurricanes could have on the Neuse River estuary and Pamlico Sound.
New Tool Makes Oyster Restoration Easier
Scientists and stakeholders have created a mapping tool that indicates optimal locations to restore oyster reefs, which is being put to use creating a sanctuary in Pamlico Sound.
Study: Nesting Turtles Prefer Dark Beaches
Anna Windle at the Duke University Marine Lab in Beaufort has been leading a study on sea turtle nesting and artificial light, finding that nest density is higher on darker beaches.
Dolphin’s Last Meal Helps Fill Knowledge Gap
A tagged striped bass recently found in the preserved stomach of a dolphin that died 14 years ago on Ocracoke Island has helped fill in blanks in fisheries science.
Not Just Young Sharks, More Big Ones, Too
Bull sharks are increasingly using North Carolina’s Pamlico Sound as a nursery, according to a recent study, but long-term research has shown that waters in the region are teeming with more large sharks – a good sign for the ecosystem.
Venus Flytrap Could Get Federal Protection
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is considering a petition seeking endangered or threatened status for the Venus flytrap, the famed carnivorous plant native to the Carolinas.
Students Dig Into Decades of Turtle Data
Two grad students in the math department at UNCW are crunching three decades’ worth of raw data on sea turtle nesting at Bald Head Island as part of an effort to better understand their behavior.
Study: Stormwater Ponds Can Add Nitrogen
Stormwater ponds are common in coastal areas of North Carolina but new research shows that they may be affecting water quality in unexpected ways.
Group Seeks to Gauge Air Quality Statewide
The group Clean Air Carolina has six web-linked monitors in New Hanover County, providing real-time readings of particulate matter levels in the air, and is working to place them in all 100 N.C. counties.
Venus Flytraps Don’t Eat Their Pollinators
These carnivorous plants native to the Wilmington area rely on insects as pollinators and prey, but researchers have discovered that Venus flytraps don’t feast on the bugs that pollinate them.
Duke’s Drones to Take Off on Defense Project
Researchers at Duke University’s Marine Robotics and Remote Sensing Lab will use $954,000 Defense Department grant to study how drones can help military land managers monitor shoreline changes.
Study: Corals Prefer the Taste of Plastic
Plastic debris in the ocean is often mistaken for food by marine animals, but researchers at the Duke Marine Lab in Beaufort recently discovered that coral found off the N.C. coast prefer it to food.
App Offers Guidance On Living Shorelines
The Nature Conservancy’s Coastal Resilience program has partnered with scientists at the NOAA Beaufort Lab to create an online tool for assessing the suitability of living shorelines along the central North Carolina coast.
