The Dare County project to repair the southernmost groin in Buxton is taking place in conjunction with a beach nourishment project in the Hatteras Island village.
Spotlight
Outer Banks organization asks lawmakers to delay ferry tolls
Pushing the North Carolina Ferry Division’s deadline to enforce toll fees at all of its ferry routes by one year would give officials the time they will need to develop, test and deploy a new collection system, the Ocracoke Access Alliance says.
Section 408: Missing from Cape Fear Memorial Bridge talks
Guest commentary: The project to replace the aging Cape Fear Memorial Bridge, if handled well, will for generations connect residents, military interests, the seaport and segments of the state’s economy, but a recent determination under the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 changes the discussion.
Find a special bottle in the water and you can help scientists
Deploying trackable floating bottles, researchers are working to better understand how litter gets into waterways and travels downstream, with an effort to pinpoint litter hotspots and identify correlations between storms and the volume of trash that enters individual streams during those storms.
Corps awards Snows Cut shoreline stabilization contract
Work is expected to begin in the coming months to address severe shoreline erosion along Snow’s Cut in New Hanover County.
North Carolina’s seagrass habitat continues to decline: Study
The Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuary Partnership has found that the extent of seagrass meadows in the Albemarle-Pamlico estuary decreased by at least 16,000 acres over a 14-year period, “despite suitable habitat available for expansion.”
NC coast is state’s greatest investment; new budget treats it so
Commentary: Bipartisan agreement this year, combined with nurtured relationships, sound science and practical problem-solving, resulted in permanent funding to rid coastal waters of abandoned and derelict vessels and money for projects that improve water quality, bolster resilience and help preserve the natural resources that sustain economy and our quality of life.
Work begins for periodic update of state coastal habitat plan
North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality staff are to present outlines for the new issue papers for the 2026 update to the Coastal Habitat Protection Plan, the state’s long-term strategy to protect coastal habitat, a necessity for a sustainable seafood industry.
Coastal Review wins five 2026 NC Press Association awards
Coastal Review photographer Dylan Ray is the North Carolina Press Association’s 2026 Hugh Morton Photographer of the Year — one of five awards for Coastal Review announced Thursday.
Budget, donors, grants total $31 million for wildlife crossings
Wildlife advocates are hailing the recently approved state budget for including $10 million of a $31 million project to build 11 protected road crossings for wildlife with corresponding fencing along 2.5 miles of U.S. 64 from the east end of East Lake on the Dare County mainland to west of Robertson Landing Road by 2031.
Audit reveals hundreds of potentially contaminated landfills
A state audit released Monday found that more than three-quarters of almost 700 identified landfill sites where municipal solid waste disposal occurred without regulatory oversight have never been investigated by state environmental regulators.
Coastal Land Trust director set to step back, become adviser
North Carolina Coastal Land Trust Executive Director Harrison Marks is officially stepping down as executive director to assume the role of senior adviser for the Wilmington-based nonprofit organization.
Opponents call EPA proposal on persistent PFAS ‘dangerous’
Speakers during an online public hearing Tuesday largely and roundly criticized the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposal to repeal federal drinking water limits for four per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and delay the deadline for water utilities to comply with limits for related compounds by two years.
Pine Knoll Shores aquarium readies for ‘Birthday Splash’
With the North Carolina Aquariums celebrating 50 years in 2026, Coastal Review talks with Jay Barnes, the former Pine Knoll Shores site director about the early days of the facility, which is hosting two celebrations Saturday for the anniversary.
Stein signs budget with safe water provisions, new ferry tolls
Gov. Josh Stein signed the $34.4 billion spending plan featuring coastal environmental spending and policy provisions, and new tolls on state ferries that have long been free to ride.
Manns Harbor Bridge repairs to be ‘most complete’ in decades
The harsh marine environment has taken its toll on the nearly 70-year-old William B. Umstead Bridge, and the modern materials but laborious application required are driving up the price tag and lengthening the timeline for the ongoing repairs.
