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.
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.
Camp Lejeune Focus of 10-Year Study
Researchers studied the complex ecosystems of Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune as part of a 10-year study that wrapped up in October to better understand coastal and estuarine ecosystems in a military training environment.
Studies: Right Whales’ Extinction More Likely
A recent National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration review of the endangered North Atlantic right whale’s status paints a grim picture for the species’ survival.
Scientists Push Ahead With GenX Research
Published in partnership with North Carolina Health News Water filtration effectiveness, effects on human health, persistence in river sediments, and bioaccumulation in eastern oyster beds are among a new set of studies driven by public concern over GenX and the dearth of science surrounding it. Scientists and regulators are mapping out how to monitor and… [Read More]
Coastal Barrier Resources Act Focus of Study
A team of researchers from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill will study the effect the Coastal Barrier Resources Act has had on development along the coasts of North Carolina, Texas, Florida, Alabama and Delaware.
Rising Seas: NC Coast Faces Chronic Flooding
A new report on sea level rise indicates that at least 20 North Carolina communities could be regularly inundated with sea water within 15 years but local experts feel some areas are already suffering the effects.
Reefs As Carbon Sinks? Location Matters
Researchers at the UNC Institute of Marine Sciences have found that oyster reefs may help in mitigating climate change, but near-shore reefs sequester carbon better than others.
