North Carolina fishermen want the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to reduce protections for endangered Atlantic sturgeon. Scientists say recovery isn’t so simple.
endangered species
Holden Beach Police investigate vandalized loggerhead nest
Punishment for the suspected crime that occurred Friday night carries a maximum penalty of a $50,000 fine and possible jail time.
Online informational meeting on red wolf recovery Sept. 29
Fish and Wildlife officials said the session will cover topics such as recovery efforts for the species, the status of recovery efforts in the eastern North Carolina red wolf population area, coyote-management strategies, and planning.
Roanoke Island aquarium to dazzle at golden anniversary
The N.C. Aquarium on Roanoke Island opened its doors Sept. 9, 1976, and are planning an evening soiree to celebrate 50 years of “inspiring wonder.”
NOAA recognizes NC Aquariums’ mammal stranding team
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration awarded the 2025 Partner in the Spotlight to the North Carolina Aquariums Marine Mammal Stranding Team.
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.
Center to sue over lack of protections for migratory red knots
The Center for Biological Diversity said Wednesday that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has been notified about the expected legal action for the federal agency “failing to designate critical habitat for red knot shorebirds in a timely manner.”
Nonprofit, developer carve path to protect Sledge Forest tract
The North Carolina Coastal Land Trust has come to a tentative purchase and sale agreement with Charlotte-based Copper Builders to preserve more than 3,200 acres of Sledge Forest on the Northeast Cape Fear River.
NCDOT begins planning wildlife crossing structures for US 64
NCDOT officials said the state agency is planning a project to install wildlife crossing structures on U.S. 64 in Dare County to help keep drivers safe and prevent crashes with wild animals.
I grew up on this coast; I won’t watch right whales disappear
Critically endangered North Atlantic right whales face a crisis they can’t outswim — and a recent move by the federal government threatens to make a dire situation even worse.
Hatteras supporters can symbolically adopt a sea turtle nest
Outer Banks Forever, the official nonprofit partner of the three national parks on the Outer Banks, has launched for the seventh year its annual “Adopt A Sea Turtle Nest” Program.
Scientists record female sperm whales assisting in calf’s birth
A research team was working the summer of 2023 off the coast of Dominica when they made the “impossibly rare” observation of a mother sperm whale giving birth and the newborn assisted by the other whales in taking its first breath, all while recording their underwater vocalizations.
Our Coast: At the Whales, Whaling Symposium in Beaufort
Historian and author David Cecelski writes about the talk he gave earlier this month on bottlenose dolphin fishery at Hatteras Island during the annual Whale and Whaling Symposium in Beaufort.
Event to highlight whaling cultural history, conservation
The N.C. Maritime Museum in Beaufort’s annual Whales and Whaling Symposium March 20 will explore whales and whaling from multiple perspectives, highlighting both the cultural history of whaling and today’s conservation efforts.
NOAA Fisheries considers changing right whale protections
As more than 20 North Atlantic right whale mother and calf pairs prepare to migrate up the U.S. Atlantic Coast, the Trump administration is considering rolling back protections for the critically endangered species.
Amid record growth, groups protect tracts from development
Population growth on the North Carolina coast has ramped up pressure on conservation groups to acquire and set aside land, such as the more than 2,000 acres in coastal counties recently protected from development, areas with natural landscape features that reduce flood risk, improve water quality and provide vital habitat.
