A PBS docuseries exploring how to feed a growing population while protecting oceans, marine ecosystems and coastal communities will be featured as the Coastal Studies Institute’s Science on the Sound Lecture Series installment for this month, and in celebration of Earth Week.

The third episode of the series, “Hope in the Water,” titled “Changing the Menu,” will be shown at the historic Pioneer Theater in Manteo the evening of Monday, April 20. There is no charge to attend but registration is required at https://bit.ly/HopeInTheWater.

“Hope in the Water,” produced by Andrew Zimmern and David E. Kelley, “blends science, food, and storytelling to spotlight innovative solutions in what’s often called the ‘blue food’ system—food sourced from oceans, rivers, and aquaculture. Rather than focusing solely on the problems surrounding fisheries, the series highlights practical, real-world solutions, from regenerative aquaculture to rethinking the species we eat,” organizers said.

The event starts with a prescreening reception at 5:30 p.m. in the Pioneer Theater courtyard, featuring local seafood available for purchase from Basnight’s Lone Cedar Café food truck, beverages, and educational displays from community partners.

The film screening will begin at 6:30 p.m., followed by a cookbook giveaway and discussion with the following panelists:

• Dr. Sara Mirabilio, fisheries extension specialist with N.C. Sea Grant.
• Chef Mac Buben, owner of Sea Chef Dockside Kitchen.
• Evan Ferguson, food blogger and media coordinator at Cape Hatteras Secondary School.
• Jake Griffin, a local commercial fisherman.

The panel will discuss local efforts to diversify seafood consumption and offer perspectives on the future of seafood in North Carolina and beyond.

“This event is an opportunity to connect our community with the people and ideas shaping the future of seafood,” CSI Executive Director Reide Corbett said in a statement. “By bringing together scientists, fishers, chefs, and educators, we hope to inspire more sustainable choices that support both coastal livelihoods and healthy marine ecosystems.”

The Coastal Studies Institute, located in Wanchese on the East Carolina University Outer Banks Campus, has partnered with Fed by Blue, North Carolina Sea Grant, and the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau to host the viewing. Science on the Sound is CSI’s monthly, in-person lecture series brings perspectives from all over the state and highlights coastal topics in northeastern North Carolina.

Share your experiences and learn more about the issues surrounding shellfish aquaculture in Stump Sound and Topsail Sound next week during an informational presentation and listening session.

The North Carolina Coastal Federation and North Carolina Sea Grant are hosting the session from 1 p.m. until 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 14, in the town council’s chambers at the Surf City Municipal Complex, 214 W. Florence Way, Hampstead.

“Your feedback will help shape a balanced, informed path forward,” according to a promotional flier for the event.

The session will cover conflicts and perceived and actual problems regarding shellfish leases, such as those associated with viewshed and property values, navigation and safety, congestion and density.

“We know coastal waters mean different things to different people, and we want to hear from you,” according to the flier.

Coastal Federation Advocate Kerri Allen and Sea Grant Extension Director Frank Lopez are to facilitate the session, which is to be a scripted presentation and listening session, not a public hearing.

In April 2025, Rep. Carson Smith, R-Pender, introduced legislation to require a statewide study on shellfish leasing and current lease moratoriums. That measure, House Bill 841, was cleared by the House but stalled in the Senate, where it passed a first vote but was then referred on May 7, 2025, to the rules committee, where it remains.

Organizers of the listening session noted that space is limited and registration is required.

Those unable to attend but who wish to share their input may submit comments to https://forms.gle/sCJ1uLGCgbhig6Zr8.

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North Carolina Sea Grant is now accepting applications for NC STEM Policy Post-Graduate Fellowships.

The fellowships provide graduate students from North Carolina colleges and universities with opportunities to serve full-time for a year in high-level state government offices, focusing on policy topics related to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

The fellowship includes a stipend of $52,500 for the year and an additional $2,000 in travel support for professional development opportunities. Students must be enrolled in and nearing graduation or have recently completed a master’s or advanced degree in a STEM-related discipline.

In addition to the stipend and travel support, fellows will have access to professional development and networking opportunities through Sigma Xi, the international honor society of science and engineering, starting with a policy workshop in summer 2026.

Possible placement offices include the following:

• N.C. Department of Environmental Quality, State Energy Office (SEO).
• N.C. Biotechnology Center.
• N.C. Department of Transportation, Chief Operating Office (NCDOT).
• N.C. Department of Commerce, Office of Science, Technology & Innovation (OSTI).
• Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuary Partnership (APNEP).
• N.C. Rural Center.

Learn more about the program on Sea Grant’s website. Completed applications, including recommendation letters, are due by 5 p.m. Friday, March 9, through the online portal.

Learn how to identify invasive plants and get tips on how to manage them during the next installment of the webinar series, “Landscapes that Last.”

Featured speaker Robbie Davis, founder and owner of Native Plants Matter NC, will headline the Feb. 27 session, where participants will be given an invasive plant management overview that will delve into how to identify common species of concern and apply practical, effective strategies to control growth on different property types and scales.

North Carolina Sea Grant’s Gloria Putnam will provide opening comments, followed by Davis, who specializes in invasive species removal and native plant installation.

N.C. Environmental Education Certification Program Criteria III or continuing education professional development credits will be available through this session.

Registration is now open for the February webinar set for noon – 1:15 p.m. Space is limited.

Created by Sea Grant and the Coastal Landscape Initiative, “Landscapes that Last” invites coastal residents, local governments, home owners associations and nurseries to explore sustainable practices to protect the state’s coastal environment.

Session topics include expert advice on things like choosing salt-tolerant plants, tree conservation, stormwater pond improvements and sourcing eco-friendly plants.

For questions about the series contact Putnam by email at gloria_putnam@ncsu.edu or by phone at 919-999-7469.

A powerhouse in the marine science and coastal management community, Dr. B.J. Copeland, 89, died Wednesday, Jan. 14.

Copeland left a lasting impact on the state as the director of North Carolina Sea Grant, a N.C. State University professor, and through his work with the Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuary Partnership. He served on the Marine Fisheries Commission, and was on the committee that drafted what is now the Fisheries Reform Act of 1997.

Copeland spent his childhood, along with his three siblings, on the family farm in rural Oklahoma. He earned his master’s and doctorate at Oklahoma State University, where he met his wife of more than 60 years, Jean Van Nortwick. They married Jan. 26, 1963.

He relocated to Texas in 1962 where he was a postdoctoral researcher and lecturer at the University of Texas Marine Science Laboratory at Port Aransas.

In a 2016 interview for the Core Sound Waterfowl Museum and Heritage Center’s Coastal Voices Project, Copeland said his “Ph.D. degree is in Limnology, the study of fresh water. So, I went to the University of Texas to see if salt water was the same as fresh water and indeed it is, except for a little bit of salt!”

He moved to Raleigh in 1970 for an associate professor position at N.C. State. Copeland said in the Q&A that he moved to North Carolina mainly because of the beginning of a marine science program jointly between N.C. State, the universities of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Wilmington, and Duke University.

“We were trying to start a graduate program in Marine Science and so I was a researcher and a professor in the Zoology Department, Botany Department, and the new Marine Sciences program,” he said, adding that the new marine sciences program eventually became the Department of Marine, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences at N.C. State. 

In 1973, he took on a new role as the director for what was then the North Carolina Sea Grant institutional program, explains an article on the 25^th anniversary of the program in the October 2001 issue of N.C. Sea Grant’s Coastwatch magazine.

Congress established the program in 1966, and began awarding grants in 1968. Sea Grant then became part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, that was formed in 1970. UNC Chapel Hill administered the Sea Grant institutional program from 1970 to when Copeland took over and relocated the program to Raleigh.

“In truth, if Sea Grant wasn’t invented in 1966, someone would invent it today. People depend on Sea Grant for good information and to help them survive,” Copeland said in the 2001 article. “You can’t argue with priorities when they are to improve the quality of life and enhance economic opportunities. That’s what Sea Grant is all about.”

Copeland said that in the early days of trying to gather input on research and extensions needs, he talked with a man who working his eel pots and crab pots. Copeland said he asked the waterman what the program could do for him and the man responded, “’Sounds like you guys are just looking for something to do.’”

Copeland got the message, though. For Sea Grant to be accepted, the program would need to be relevant and deliver good information, he said in the article.

He began hiring staff who brought in their own experiences, leading the program to marine advisory work, promoting shellfish culture, addressing seafood processing issues, developing seafood recipes, outreach efforts, and research.

When Copeland took over the program in 1973, his goal was to elevate N.C. Sea Grant from an institutional program to be designated a Sea Grant College Program, which happened in July 1976. The program also got a budget of $1 million.

The federal-state partnership was supported with $2 in federal funds for each $1 in state funding, but in 1980, Sea Grant was zeroed out of the federal budget, leading to Copeland spending many days in Washington getting the Sea Grant message out, according to the 2001 article.

He said at the time that it wasn’t a stretch to show that Sea Grant was worth something and worth keeping.

“The direct impact was evident in the growth of the extension program. Initial work in fisheries and marine education were soon joined by aquaculture and mariculture. Coastal processes work increased, as did coastal law and policy efforts,” the article explains.

Copeland left Sea Grant in 1996 and began serving as graduate administrator for the Zoology Department at N.C. State. He retired from the university in 2002.

Current N.C. Sea Grant Executive Director Susan White told Coastal Review that she was fortunate have had Copeland as an early and regular mentor when she joined the North Carolina Sea Grant program as director in 2012.

“We had great lunches together, sometimes here in Raleigh sometimes closer to his home, and his knowledge of the intricacies of a statewide program that evolves regularly with the pressing needs of the times was relevant and timely as I was still learning the many paths for NC Sea Grant,” White said.

“B.J. always had great stories to tell about his time with NC Sea Grant, the challenges of federal funding support ebbing and flowing, the great characters of each of the team members, and his enjoyment of his time with the program. B.J. joined us for retirement parties and program reviews throughout the past decade, keeping his finger on the pulse. His practical advice, and huge laughs, were wonderful to be on the receiving end of,” she continued.

Copeland’s work with what is now Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuarine Program predates his time with Sea Grant and, once he began directing Sea Grant, his partnership with APNEP grew.

Copeland said in a Q&A with the program that he “was involved with APNEP before it was APNEP – before it even existed, in fact.” APNEP is an effort to understand, protect, and restore natural resources of the Albemarle-Pamlico estuarine system in North Carolina and Virginia, its website explains.

The only National Estuary Program in the 1960s was the Chesapeake Bay. In the late 1960s, “somebody got the happy idea that Congress ought to have an annual or biannual report on the status of the nation’s estuaries, so they commissioned one,” Copeland explained.

He went to Chapel Hill in 1968 to work on a report on the nation’s estuaries. He and the late Dr. Howard Odom wrote “Coastal Ecological Systems of the United States.”

“To do research for it, we went to every state and gathered material that had been written up or stuck in a drawer, and we took that data on coastal systems and turned it into a book. It was the first work on the status of the nation’s estuaries,” Copeland said.

A handful of Congressmen in the 1970s, including Walter Jones from North Carolina, who was chair of the House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee, pointed out that there’s an estuary in North Carolina.

Copeland continued that the whole setup of the National Estuary Program was changed to include not only Chesapeake Bay, but also other estuarine systems. The Albemarle-Pamlico system “includes a lot of water and a lot of territory – we were known as the second-largest ecosystem on the East Coast.”

In the early 1980s, work began on establishing the Albemarle-Pamlico as a National Estuary Program, and he helped form the first technical committee. “In 1987, we got the first grant for the program – for the Albemarle-Pamlico Estuarine Study (APES). We were a part of the National Estuary Program, authorized by Congress earlier that same year,” he said.

At the time, there were water quality problems that he described as “astronomical,” with algal blooms in the Chowan River, Albemarle Sound and Pamlico River. The Neuse River had fish kills.

“We had a crisis. You couldn’t sell seafood for a year, so we had to solve this problem. You’ve got to turn this thing around or the seafood industry is going to go down the tubes – that’s the reason for the program. But what people sometimes forget is that you can’t do all this at once. You’ve got to prioritize, you’ve get something understood and you find out it’s really connected to something else over here – it’s not easy,” Copeland told APNEP. “And so, we began to work. We had technical committees and proposals for projects and for priority research, and things began to trickle into state policies and state government.”

After the technical committee completed the Albemarle-Pamlico Estuarine Study and produced the Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan for the region in 1994, the project was renamed as the Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuarine Program. In 2012, program was changed to partnership.

Southern Environmental Law Center Senior Attorney Derb S. Carter Jr. told Coastal Review that Copeland was leading the state’s Sea Grant program when the Coastal Area Management Act was enacted in 1974 and when the Albemarle Pamlico Estuarine Program launched. 

“Effective environmental and natural resource programs must be based on sound science.  We are all fortunate that B.J. was passionate about ensuring programs to manage our coastal resources incorporate the best science,” Carter said.

It was also in the 1980s when Copeland was appointed the first time to the Marine Fisheries Commission, and eventually helped draft the Marine Fisheries Reform Act in the 1990s.

In the 2016 Q&A for Carolina Coastal Voices project, Copeland said he became involved with fisheries management because Sea Grant has programs on commercial fishery, recreational fishing, interactions, management of fisheries, how things worked, and could translate research into management.

“And I got into fisheries management for real when I was appointed to the Marine Fisheries Commission in the 1980s, under the so-called, ah, Egghead Commission,” he explained, adding he served on the commission for four or five years before it dissolved.

“I mean, the state government decided that commissions weren’t really the way to go, so the Marine Fisheries Commission was actually dissolved and they started over again. And so there was legislative action to create a new commission, which kept getting things added to, and added to, and added to until we have a 19-member Marine Fisheries Commission,” he explained. This was in the mid-1980s.

“And that was also a disaster, because 19 people can’t make any kind of decision,” Copeland said.

The committee argued a lot and “what happened with the Fisheries Moratorium Act, I mean–that was one of the factors, that we had an unwieldy commission — no way to get there — we had regulations right and left, none of which were related to others. People were kind of fed up with the whole idea,” Copeland said. The fisheries moratorium “came because they wanted to stop, look, consider, and really come up with something. And so, we had a three-year moratorium on anything; on any regulation, on any activity, any new activity. And that resulted in the Fisheries Reform Act.”

The North Carolina General Assembly approved in 1994 the moratorium on selling any new commercial fishing licenses and established the 19-member Fisheries Moratorium Steering Committee to study the state’s coastal fisheries management process and recommend improvements.

The committee issued a draft report in late summer 1996, held 19 public meetings statewide, and adopted a final report in October 1996 that formed the basis for the Fisheries Reform Act, which was signed into law Aug. 14, 1997, according to the oral history project, calling it the “most significant fisheries legislation in NC history.”

Copeland was on the moratorium steering committee and as director of Sea Grant, he said he represented the research and information side.

As part of the moratorium, Copeland said, funds were appropriated for research that was administered through N.C. Sea Grant college program, and “I think I knew about all of the players. So, communication and interaction amongst the players was also important, and Sea Grant played a role in that, as well.”

Another part of Sea Grant’s role was to get the information out broadly and quickly, Copeland said they did that through a network “and we traded on two very important elements: one of them was the truth. If you’re a bearer of the truth, you usually get along pretty well. And so we had a reputation for doing that. And secondly, we thought that information was a necessary ingredient for anything we did. And so, we were doing that, too. It was kind of a natural fit.”

The committee was tasked with creating parameters for a Marine Fisheries Commission that “could actually function,” Copeland said, trimming it down from 19 to nine. The commission has three people from the commercial interests, three people from recreational interests, and three at large, all appointed by the governor. He served on the newly structured commission for 12 years.

Copeland said in the Q&A that “we were purveyors of the truth. We had a reputation of, you know, you can come and ask Sea Grant a question, you were going to get an honest answer. And so we could be a player without taking a side. And that was really important, because most people take sides somewhere, sometime. And so we worked very hard at not taking a side.”

He lamented that fisheries is going to take a hit because of misinformation, in the 2016 interview.

“Some of these environmental issues, which are going to get scuttled because of some misinformed position, somebody who’s more powerful than somebody else will get their way and so on. I mean, they practice the Golden Rule, you know: them what’s got the gold, rules. So, you know, I think things are going to get worse before they get better. I keep thinking that, one of these days the general public’s going to wake up and say, ‘We need to get rid of this bunch!’ but that’s not happening,” he said.

After the Fisheries Reform Act, Copeland said in an interview that he went back to the academic department at N.C. State and taught a couple of courses, retiring in 2002.

North Carolina Coastal Federation founder Todd Miller told Coastal Review that Copeland influenced the direction of coastal science and management in North Carolina for more than half a century.

“After ‘retirement,’ he continued to shape coastal policy and practice as a member of the N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission, an active participant in the Albemarle–Pamlico Estuarine Partnership, the Coastal Habitat Protection Plan process, and numerous other civic efforts,” Miller continued. “He built a Sea Grant program in North Carolina that earned international respect and, importantly, translated coastal research into practical solutions for real-world management challenges. Through his leadership and service, he profoundly influenced efforts to protect and restore the North Carolina coast and left it stronger for future generations.”

He and his wife owned a farm near Apex from 1978 until 2002 and later a farm near Pittsboro, according to his obituary, and he found joy in gardening and farming.

“For many who knew and loved him, B.J.’s deep voice and his loud belly laugh will always be remembered. His excellent memory and quick wit made him an entertaining teller of stories and jokes. We can only hope that some of us can tell them as well as he did. B.J. will long be remembered with gratitude, admiration, love and a big smile,” his obituary states.

His memorial is at 2 p.m. Friday at Pleasant Hill United Methodist Church in Siler City.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in memory of B.J. Copeland to: Boys & Girls Homes of North Carolina, P.O. Box 127, Lake Waccamaw, NC 28450, or Pleasant Hill United Methodist Church at P.O. Box 1322, Pittsboro, NC 27312. Arrangements are by Donaldson Funeral Home and Crematory.

Rachel Veal, conservation horticulturist with the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island, is the featured speaker for the second webinar in the “Landscapes that Last: The What, Why and How of Nature-friendly Landscaping” webinar series created by North Carolina Sea Grant and the Coastal Landscapes Initiative.

The series explores sustainable practices that protect North Carolina’s unique coastal environment. Registration is open for the second webinar set for noon on Jan. 15, 2026, on the Zoom platform.

Veal, in her role at the aquarium, oversees plant selection, installation and ongoing maintenance throughout the facility, and surrounding grounds.

The webinar session will focus on “The What, Why and How of Nature-friendly Landscaping,” organizers said.

What makes a landscape truly sustainable, and why does it matter along North Carolina’s coast? This introductory session explores the core principles of conservation landscaping and how they support healthy land and water systems.

Participants will learn practical, science-based concepts for eco-friendly landscaping that will help you make informed choices and create thriving, resilient coastal properties.

Each session in the “Landscapes that Last” series features subject matter experts who will share practical strategies ranging from choosing salt-tolerant plants and conserving trees to improving stormwater ponds and sourcing eco-friendly plants. The series is for coastal residents, local governments, homeowner associations and nurseries and aims to build shared knowledge and healthier coastal communities.

 Professional development credits are available for the N.C. Environmental Education Certification Program: Criteria III or Continuing Education.

More information about the rest of the series is online.

There’s only a week left to register for a new webinar series created by North Carolina Sea Grant and the Coastal Landscapes Initiative that explores sustainable practices that protect North Carolina’s unique coastal environment.

The 2025-26 series, “Landscapes that Last,” is intended for coastal residents, local governments, homeowners associations and nurseries “to build shared knowledge and healthier coastal communities,” organizers said.

Registration is open for the first webinar but space is limited.

Each session will feature presentations by panelists with a variety of expertise and experience. These include practical strategies, such as choosing salt-tolerant plants and conserving trees to improving stormwater ponds, and tips for sourcing eco-friendly plants. Sessions will end with 15 minutes of audience questions.

The first in the series, “Local Policies for Native Plants,” is set for noon until 1:15 p.m. Dec. 11. The session will feature speakers from North Carolina communities who will discuss their policies to advance landscapes that protect native vegetation and discourage the spread of invasive plants.

This session’s speakers will share how local policies and community guidelines can make a lasting difference. Speakers include Pine Knoll Shores Planning Administrator Charlie Rocci, Bald Head Association Assistant Director Dora Richey and Raleigh City Council Member Jane Harrison.

Rocci, a coastal municipal planner, facilitated development of new landscaping requirements for forest management while updating the town’s Unified Development Ordinance.

Richey, a homeowners association director, is implementing planting covenants on new construction and renovated properties to enhance and protect island properties and the environment.

Harrison, in her capacity as an elected official, has promoted and helped to adopt ordinances to prohibit invasive species and encourage restoration of native landscapes in an urban area.                                                                                                              

Future webinar dates are to be announced as schedules are confirmed.

Professional development credits are available under the North Carolina Environmental Education Certification Program: Criteria III or Continuing Education.

The North Carolina Coastal Federation, in partnership with the North Carolina Sea Grant, have received a $529,000 grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to “strengthen and expand” the state’s growing shellfish mariculture industry.

The Coastal Federation said Thursday in a release that the money will help build on more than a decade of collaboration among the organization, state agencies, industry leaders, N.C. Sea Grant, and other partners across the “coast to grow a thriving mariculture sector that supports local oyster growers, clean water, and coastal economies.”

The previous work includes the Coastal Federation’s community-supported efforts to restore oysters and the work being done through the North Carolina Oyster Blueprint, which recommended developing a network of shellfish aquaculture hubs. The Coastal Federation publishes Coastal Review.

“This support from NOAA is a major step forward for North Carolina’s mariculture industry,” Coastal Federation Executive Director Braxton Davis said in a statement. “It will provide growers with additional stability, infrastructure, and tools they need to build strong businesses while protecting the clean water and healthy habitats our coastal economy depends on.”

The funding is to be used for a handful of purposes, including the management and operations of the Shellfish Mariculture Hub in Carteret County. The first-of-its-kind hub is designed to provide growers with reliable support for water access, storage, logistics, and distribution, filling what the nonprofit calls a critical gap in the industry.

“Ensuring strong and effective management will be essential for the Hub’s long-term success,” recipients said.

The grant also will go to initiating a stakeholder group made up of growers, researchers, state agencies, and industry partners to establish North Carolina’s first commercial shellfish hatchery. The group will evaluate options and determine the best path forward to secure the reliable seed supply needed to sustain and expand shellfish farming across the state, officials said.

In addition, funds will go to expand outreach for the NC Oyster Trail, which highlights the cultural, economic, and environmental importance of shellfish while strengthening tourism and community ties. There are more than 90 sites on the trail, including shellfish farm tours, seafood restaurants and markets, and educational organizations like aquariums and museums.

“The NC Oyster Trail is a critical marketing tool to ensure high demand for our state’s shellfish as well as continued support for coastal protection and restoration. It’s a gateway to understand the full impact of the oyster on our coast,” said North Carolina coastal economics specialist Jane Harrison.

The grant also will go to support growers near Stump Sound, a community in North Topsail Beach where shellfish farming takes place alongside a variety of other coastal uses.

“By fostering dialogue and cooperation, the effort will help ensure that Stump Sound continues to be a place where diverse coastal traditions and industries can thrive together,” the organization said.

A traveling photography exhibit that helps consumers visualize the work that goes into the state’s growing oyster industry will be on display in the North Carolina Coastal Federation’s Wrightsville Beach office during August.

A collaborative project of North Carolina Sea Grant and the NC Oyster Trail, the exhibit, “Advancing Shellfish Mariculture Literacy in North Carolina,” features the work of Raleigh-based photographer Justin Kase Conder.

An opening reception is scheduled for 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 13. Light refreshments and beverages will be provided. Though not required, organizers ask those who plan to attend to RSVP online.

“This inspiring exhibit highlights the hardworking individuals behind North Carolina’s growing oyster industry and honors the ecological, cultural, and economic value of oysters to our coast,” organizers said.

Conder has more than 27 years of experience as a photographer, traveling to more than 40 countries where he honed his skills.

“To be able to go out on the water, experience wild and farmed oyster harvest, and document the process in a way that helps other North Carolinians understand what goes into getting these oysters to their plate—that was not only an incredible experience for me personally, it was deeply rewarding,” Conder said in a release.

During the reception, Conder will share behind-the-scenes stories from his time photographing oyster farmers, harvesters, entrepreneurs and chefs across the state.

Dr. Jane Harrison, coastal economics specialist with North Carolina Sea Grant and coordinator of the NC Oyster Trail, and Mandy Uticone, owner of Carolina Beach Oyster Co. will join Conder at the exhibit opening.

Harrison will discuss the vital role oysters play in North Carolina’s coastal economies and share insights into the NC Oyster Trail’s efforts to promote sustainable seafood tourism and support the state’s shellfish industry.

Uticone will share her firsthand experiences as an oyster grower, talk about the realities of working on the water, and answer oyster-related questions.

Contact Harrison at jane_harrison@ncsu.edu for information or to host the exhibit.

Topsail Island leaders are unwavering in their pursuit of stopping new leases of shellfish farms in the waters around them.

Months have passed since the island’s three towns — North Topsail Beach, Surf City and Topsail Beach — and their respective counties banded together to ask state legislators for a moratorium on new shellfish leases in Onslow and Pender’s coastal waterways.

“Of course, we all support aquaculture,” North Topsail Beach Alderman Mike Benson said during a recent town board meeting.

But the rising number of leases, fueled because of moratoriums in surrounding coastal counties, has led to what local leaders say amount to mounting conflicts between recreational uses of public waters and shellfish leases that restrict access to those waters.

Prohibiting all new shellfish leases across Onslow and Pender counties could be detrimental to the state’s growing shellfish industry, one that reportedly boasts an economic impact of $30 million annually in North Carolina.

“This industry is a particularly bright spot for North Carolina in that farming clams and oysters is quite sustainable environmentally,” said Dr. Jane Harrison, a coastal economics specialist with North Carolina Sea Grant. “We’ve seen a huge uptick in production numbers from farming oysters, in particular, over the last decade and we don’t want to lose that momentum.”

North Carolina Sea Grant and the North Carolina Coastal Federation have teamed up in hopes of launching a plan that would result in the creation of a Geographic Information System, or GIS, database that pinpoints areas where leases may or may not be suitable in the waterways behind the 26-mile-long island.

That database would be built by a GIS specialist from North Carolina State University using feedback the organizations aim to get from different focus groups made up of users of those waters, be it shellfish farmers, fishing guides, recreational fishers, or island waterfront property owners.

“We want to bring together many different voices to gather their perspectives and then put their information, their interest, into that GIS database,” Harrison said.

Sea Grant and the Coastal Federation, which publishes Coastal Review, have applied for a grant through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Sea Grant Office to fund the plan.

If awarded the grant, the plan would kick off around September, when the GIS specialist would gather existing data, including information from the University of North Carolina Wilmington’s Shellfish Lease Siting Tool, to work up a baseline of information that will be presented to focus groups. UNCW’s interactive tool assesses coastal conditions in the state to help shellfish growers locate new or expand current operations.

There would be three focus groups: one consisting of shellfish growers in Pender and Onslow counties, one that includes recreational water users and waterfront property owners in Onslow County, and one that includes those groups in Pender County.

Those groups would be initially separated out “because we want folks to feel like they can fully share whatever their concerns or needs are and we don’t want to create an environment of conflict,” Harrison said. “We just want spaces where people can give us every piece of information they have and then we will digest it, compile it, and then have some community conversations.”

Feedback from those conversations would be gathered and used to create a draft resource use agreement and guidelines for equal water access in partnership with the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries.

Once finalized, that resource use agreement and guidelines would be published to the public, where it could be used in other coastal regions in not only North Carolina, but other states.

The proposal has gained traction with local officials. The Topsail Island Shoreline Protection Commission, or TISPC, and the counties, has signaled its support for the plan, Harrison said. The commission is made up of elected officials and local government appointees from the island’s three towns.

In an April 2 letter to the Division of Marine Fisheries, North Topsail Beach highlighted the plan as “another justification for a pause” on new shellfish leases.

“A temporary pause would allow us to evaluate the current situation, develop comprehensive management strategies, and ensure that future growth in the shellfish industry is balanced with the needs of our community and the environment,” the letter states.

The North Topsail Beach Board of Aldermen unanimously agreed to send the letter to the division ahead of its April 22 public hearing on six new proposed shellfish leases in Onslow County.

The hearing is scheduled to be held in person at 6 p.m. at the Holly Ridge Community Center and virtually via Webex.

That hearing will follow one on two proposed shellfish leases in Pender County scheduled for 6 p.m. April 15 at Topsail Beach Town Hall, 820 S. Anderson Blvd., and virtually via Webex.

During the April 2 meeting of North Topsail’s town board, Alderman Benson said the consensus of the island’s shoreline protection commission is that the towns and counties continue their request for a moratorium.

A proposed draft bill for a moratorium was not introduced in either the state Senate by its March 25 deadline or the House as of publication of this report. The deadline for the House was extended to April 10. 

“There are 111 leases in Onslow County,” Beson said. “We have 647 acres of land in those 111 leases.”

North Topsail Beach and the northernmost portion of Surf City are in Onslow County.

There are opportunities to identify areas within the waterways of the island that are “truly not well served by shellfish aquaculture,” Harrison said.

“There may be special fishing spots that the charter captains want to make sure they have access to,” she said. “There may be viewsheds that are very important to local residents. We have a lot of successful entrepreneurs in shellfish aquaculture in these two counties and shellfish aquaculture produces seafood that many of us like to eat. At the end of the day, it may be that the industry in Pender and Onslow counties can’t grow at the rate it has been. There might be a need for it to be less expansive because of existing leases and farms. But what I want to steer us away from is just a blanket prohibition, as if no new farm could ever take place in a copacetic way.”

From oyster farm tours to seafood festivals, North Carolina is ready to “shellebrate” Oyster Month.

Oysters are more than just the centerpiece of a get-together, these bivalves improve water quality while filtering saltwater for food, protect and help restore shorelines, offer refuge for marine animals, and are packed with nutrients.

Organized by the North Carolina Sea Grant, North Carolina Coastal Federation, North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources and the NC Oyster Trail, a tourism and promotion campaign, this is the fourth year the state has celebrated the ecologically and economically important mollusks.

Jane Harrison, a coastal economist with Sea Grant, told Coastal Review that North Carolina Oyster Month began in 2023. “We had been shellebrating NC Oyster Week in October since 2020, but expanded it last year because folks wanted to host events all month long.”

The purpose of setting aside the entire month to promote awareness of the state’s oysters is to highlight “the wonder of N.C. oysters and raise their profile,” Harrison continued. “We inform folks on where you can eat them, their role in the ecosystem, how we ensure a sustainable seafood supply, and opportunities to protect our treasured coastal environment.”

She said the Oyster Month events are “a blast,” and encourages attending as many “as you can.”

The state has recognized October as North Carolina Oyster Month, as well.

“North Carolina is home to a valuable and productive coastal ecosystem with many champions who work together to protect it and the keystone species that benefit the state’s marine and coastal environments with food provision, water filtering capacity, and fish habitat,” begins the proclamation Gov. Roy Cooper’s office released Tuesday.

North Carolina has taken action to promote and protect the oyster and the industry that depends on it.

The state has been working to restore and protect oysters since 1915, resulting in the creation of thousands of acres of harvestable reefs and nearly 400 acres of oyster sanctuary in the Pamlico Sound. The General Assembly commissioned in 2018 the “North Carolina Strategic Plan for Shellfish Mariculture: A Vision to 2030.” That same year, North Carolina became the first in the Southeast and sixth in the nation to join the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Shellfish Initiative and launch the N.C. Shellfish Initiative, according to the proclamation.

Two years later, the NC Oyster Trail was launched, an effort of the Coastal Federation, Sea Grant and North Carolina Shellfish Growers Association to promote oysters, and the “Oyster Restoration and Protection Plan for North Carolina: A Blueprint for Action” was released, now in its fourth edition.

Coastal Federation Oyster Program Director Erin Fleckenstein leads the blueprint effort.

Fleckenstein explained that the nonprofit plans to participate in many of the events scheduled this month, and expects to launch an outreach campaign. Those following the organization’s social media will be able to catch a video series with different “how-to” topics such as how to recycle shells, create the perfect wine and oyster pairing, and shuck an oyster.

Fleckenstein noted that during the month-long celebration and with the start of wild harvest season, a lot of empty oyster shells will be produced. It’s critical to make sure these shells are properly recycled so they can be used to create more oyster reefs.

The nonprofit has worked with government and community partners to provide a few dozen places coastwide for oyster lovers to drop off shells for recycling. Find the locations are listed on the organization’s website, nccoast.org/shellrecycling.

“We discourage using shells for anything other than building new oyster reefs,” Fleckenstein said. “Shells make a great substrate for new oysters to grow on. Currently, we don’t have enough shells to build all the reefs we want to. Oyster lovers can help ensure more oysters in the future by recycling their shells.”

Join the conversation on social media with #NCOysterMonth, #NCOysters, #GiveAShuck, and #KeepShuckin.

NC Oyster Trail provided the following schedule of events:

• Oyster Roast at Dune Street Raw Bar & Grill in Nags Head 3-11 p.m. Friday. The restaurant is celebrating its one-year anniversary. There will be drink specials throughout the day, and that evening, an oyster roast with Kinnakeet, Little Star and Ocracoke Oyster Co., oysters and live music by The Southern Split.
• North Carolina Seafood Festival in Morehead City Friday through Sunday. The three-day festival features cooking demonstrations, an oyster shucking steam bar, live music, food, vendors, artisans, children’s activities, rides, fireworks and the Blessing of the Fleet, which is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. Sunday at Radio Island, between Morehead City and Beaufort. This ceremony honors the many commercial fishermen who have given their lives to their occupation, and to thank those who continue in the industry.
• Seraphine Oyster Fest in Durham noon to 4 p.m. Saturday. Reservations can be made for the noon seating or the 2 p.m. seating when special menu of 12 raw oysters, including oysters from White Oak Oyster Co., Crystal Coast Oysters and Cherry Point Oysters, will be served. Oyster growers will be on hand to discuss their farms.
• 23rd annual Oink & Oyster Roast at Jolly Roger Restaurant in Kill Devil Hills noon to 4 p.m. Saturday. Slow roasted pork, fresh roasted oysters from Lighthouse Shoals Oyster Co. and live music with Phil Watson. Preorder tickets, $50, online. Tickets are $50 the day of the event.
• University of North Carolina Wilmington Science Open House 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. UNCW Center for Marine Science, Wilmington Visit UNC Wilmington’s Center for Marine Science for a fun day of science adventure with hands-on exhibits, tours of the Shellfish Research Hatchery, a visit to their oyster farm and food trucks too.
• A Celebration of the Gilded Oyster at the Empty Nest Studio and Gallery in Frisco from 4 to 6 p.m. Saturday. A raffle for oyster-inspired jewelry and a wine tasting with Lee Robinson’s General Store.
• Oysters and Brews with Wrightsville Brewing in Wilmington 5-7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 9. Wrightsville Brewing has committed to donating 11% of proceeds from its Beer of the Month to support the Coastal Federation throughout October.
• Outer Banks Seafood Festival in Nags Head 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 19. The festival that highlights the state’s fishing industry and heritage features local seafood, and live music.
• Oysterberfest 2024 Wrightsville Brewing in Wilmington from noon to 6 p.m. Sunday Oct. 20. The brewery’s annual wild oyster season kickoff party and Oktoberfest celebration plan to have live music by Back Pocket Buddha and Birdwell Beat and steamed and raw oysters for sale.
• Shellebration Sundays at Coquina Fish Bar in Wilmington. Oysters will be offered at $1.50 each all day each Sunday in October. The restaurant will feature special oyster dishes each week.
• Seabird’s NC Oyster Happy Hour $1 oysters from 5-6 p.m. each Monday in October at the Wilmington restaurant.
• Sea Level’s NC Oyster Happy Hour in October at the Charlotte restaurant. Oysters are priced at $1.50 each from 2 to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.
• $1 Happy Hour Oysters at Shuckin’ Shack, Surf City from 2 to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday for all of October.
• Seed to Table Oyster Trail Tours with Eco Adventures in Sneads Ferry. Meet working watermen and women at oyster farms near Permuda Island. Contact the company to book a tour.
• Oyster Farm to Fork Kayak Tours with the Coastal Federation Oct. 6, Oct. 23 and Oct. 30. Tours with Wanchese Paddle to the Coastal Federation’s oyster farm leave at 11 a.m. and will be followed with oysters from Dune Street Raw Bar & Grill. Register online.