A public comment period is open on a proposed management plan that seeks to rebuild the once-abundant birds’ numbers by permanently protecting coastal marshes and helping private landowners create habitat.
science
Tales from the dunes: Butterflies in science, sentiment
NC State and North Carolina Aquarium researchers have traipsed across sand to study the crystal skipper, a butterfly known for its white speckled wings that can only be found in the Bogue Banks area.
Roanoke aquarium plans World Sea Turtle Day festivities
North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island has concluded a “record-breaking” cold-stunning season and will recognize the endangered animal Monday, June 16, for both World Sea Turtle Day and its rehabilitation center’s 11th anniversary.
Outer Banks tourism topic of next ‘Science on the Sound’
Outer Banks Visitors Bureau Executive Director Lee Nettles and Community Engagement Officer Jeff Shwartzenberg are scheduled to speak about long-range tourism plans June 19 during the next “Science on the Sound” Lecture Series on the ECU Outer Banks campus.
Shorebirds among species in steepest decline in latest count
Audubon’s 2025 State of the Birds Report shows East Coast species such as least terns, American oystercatchers and piping plovers are diminished in numbers with shorebirds most heavily represented among those at a perilous tipping point.
Coastal areas flood more frequently than thought: Study
Coastal communities are inundated more often than previously believed, with levels taking longer to recede in rural areas, and the way government agencies gather data to predict floods fails to provide true estimates, according to a report published Monday.
Core Sound readies for annual summer Parlor Talk Series
Cape Lookout National Seashore’s wildlife biologist Dr. Sue Stuska is to speak during the July 3 summer Parlor Talk Series at Core Sound Waterfowl Museum and Heritage Center’s Morehead City location.
Humpback eyes see silhouettes at distance, little detail: Study
By measuring a humpback whale eye specimen, University of North Carolina Wilmington and Duke University researchers found that the species has limited vision but that it suits their natural environment.
Forecasters predict 13 to 19 named storms for 2025 season
National Weather Service forecasters are predicting the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season, which begins June 1 and ends Nov. 30, to have above-normal activity.
‘Egg drop challenge’ launches ‘egg-cellent’ questions
The incredible, edible egg is also breakable, but at what height? Heidi Skinner has some questions about a Massachusetts Institute of Technology study on the “egg drop challenge.”
Tour highlights importance of state’s coastal reserves
State officials and North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality staff took a tour Friday of Masonboro Island Reserve in Wilmington that highlighted the special coastal site.
Institute, ECU Outer Banks Campus to welcome public
The Coastal Studies Institute and ECU Integrated Coastal Programs are hosting an open house from 12:30 to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 17, at the campus in Wanchese.
Fishermen, scientists differ on whale mortality, wind energy
Opinions up and down the North Carolina coast differ on the reasons behind rising numbers of Atlantic whale deaths, but marine researchers say the science is clear.
Wilmington Earth Day festival to be a ‘fun-filled afternoon’
Wilmington’s 35th annual Earth Day Festival taking place April 26 is to feature educational activities, live music, exhibitors, food trucks and more.
Coastal Land Trust to host ‘Pollinator Palooza!’ April 26
Education and information about pollinators, as well as free plants seeds to start your own pollinator garden, will be available at this year’s “Pollinator Palooza!”
Satellite tracking study aims to unlock more red drum secrets
A project now in its second year seeks to temporarily tag and track by satellite 40 of the saltwater species so popular with recreational anglers could help fill data gaps that decades of research studies have so far left open.
