“Our hold on this coast is fleeting”: Coastal geologist Stan Riggs shares an excerpt from his new book, “Cape Lookout National Seashore: Paradigm For A Coastal System Ethic.”
science
Coastal geologist Stan Riggs sets out on 10-book project
“I’ve done a lot of work here,” the East Carolina University professor told Coastal Review, and the book series to be rolled out over three years is a mission to share what he’s learned.
Manufacture, use of plastics incur staggering societal costs
Duke University researchers have put into dollar figures the true costs to society of cheap plastic products: from $436 billion to $1.1 trillion annually.
‘Cautiously optimistic’: Right whale population rises 2.1%
The North Atlantic right whale population rose slightly in 2024, but while marine scientists are encouraged, they say strong protective measures are still needed.
Cape Fear ghost forests tell tale of ever-saltier water upriver
New findings in a report from the University of North Carolina Wilmington that examined tree cores and sediment samples from a nearby tributary show how the loss of cypress forests and protections they afford could worsen with further Cape Fear River dredging.
Aurora museum to host National Fossil Day celebration
The Aurora Fossil Museum is hosting a National Fossil Day celebration from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Saturday.
Hurricanes are getting increasingly worse: Climatologist
As tropical storms become wetter and more intense, the perception that hurricanes are just a coastal issue has changed in the last century, Assistant State Climatologist Corey Davis says.
Outer Banks lecture series to highlight surf forecasting
This month’s Science on the Sound lecture series will dive into the tools and technology surf forecasters use to bring real-time ocean and wave conditions and surf reports to beaches, including those of the Outer Banks, throughout the world.
Blue crab populations decline after juvenile stage: Study
The blue crab population in the Albemarle-Pamlico Estuarine System is disappearing sometime between when juveniles leave their nursery habitats and before reaching sexual maturity, a recent study finds.
Vast majority of litter removed from streams is plastic: Study
A three-year study recently published in the journal Community Science finds that about 96% of litter North Carolina waterkeeper organizations and their volunteers removed from trash traps were plastics.
Biologists heartened by red wolf program’s recent successes
While still far from recovered, more endangered eastern red wolves in northeastern North Carolina are breeding, more pups are surviving, coyote hybridization has been cut, and there are fewer mortalities from vehicle strikes and gunshots.
UNCW conference to explore science, blue economy
Registration closes Friday for the third annual Ocean Innovation Conference at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, a daylong event highlighting marine and coastal research, trends in the blue economy, and investment and collaboration opportunities.
Coastal habitats are North Carolina’s hidden climate engines
North Carolina’s abundant coastal wetland ecosystems are highly effective carbon storehouses, serving to slow climate change’s pace while also providing vital fish nurseries, wildlife havens and storm buffers.
State fisheries now accepting applications for committees
The N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission is accepting applications through Oct. 24 for its various committees.
Coastal Habitat Protection Plan revisions to be discussed
The N.C. Coastal Habitat Protection Plan Steering Committee’s Sept. 25 agenda includes discussing the proposed framework and timeline for the 2026 Coastal Habitat Protection Plan amendment.
Shark meat could be high in mercury, mislabeled: Study
Meat labeled “shark” for sale in grocery stores and fish markets may be from critically endangered species or have significant mercury in its tissue, according to a UNC Chapel Hill study.
