UNC’s Dr. Paul Taillie says that while there’s reason for concern about the environment, he does not share the anxiety others have, rather, “I tend to be very optimistic about things.”
science
Institute’s September lecturer to address climate anxiety
Dr. Paul Taillie of the UNC Department of Geography and Environment, September’s featured “Science on the Sound” speaker at the Coastal Studies Institute, says resilience presents conservation opportunity.
Vesta says olivine sand carbon project at Duck yielding data
The light green sand from a Norway mine deposited nearshore earlier this year in Duck is part of a pilot project studying how the material, when activated by seawater, removes carbon from the ocean and atmosphere.
Public may comment on requested interim PFAS limits
The state Division of Water Resources is accepting comments through Oct. 4 on a request to set interim maximum allowable concentrations in groundwater for eight PFAS.
Conchologists expand, revise popular seashell field guide
Seashell enthusiasts teamed up to revise and expand the decades-old “Seashells of North Carolina” written in 1997 by Hugh Porter, who had a 55-year career at UNC Institute of Marine Sciences, and Lynn Houser.
Division, nonprofit team to tag red drum, track by satellite
Popular among anglers, little is known about the reproduction and migration of the state’s official saltwater fish, which the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries and N.C. Marine & Estuary Foundation’s new pilot tagging study seeks to remedy.
Transition to La Niña may offer East Coast flooding relief
After a period of record flooding along the North Carolina coast, a recurring cooling trend in the Pacific is set to bring some relief here, according to a new National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration outlook.
Water Quality for Fisheries Symposium set for October
Registration is open for Coastal Carolina Riverwatch’s Water Quality for Fisheries Symposium scheduled for Oct. 9-11 at the Duke University Marine Lab in Beaufort.
Indigenous tobacco from ancient seeds: History comes alive
Tobacco was once an important cash crop in the South, but much longer ago, the Cherokee valued it too and meticulously saved their seeds, including some a spelunker found in a cave 2,000 years later.
UNCW team IDs mystery species infecting bay scallops
Using DNA sequencing, University of North Carolina Wilmington researchers have identified a species of trematode, a parasitic and suspected invasive species here that has further set back the state’s already struggling bay scallop stocks but is no threat to humans.
Resident’s fight leads to balloon bans on 80 miles of beach
Debbie Swick of Southern Shores, who’s passionate about marine life, led an effort that has made it illegal to release balloons from Duck to Hatteras Village.
Long-running UNCW field course merges science, policy
One scholar calls the seven-night, eight-day University of North Carolina Wilmington summer class an “eye-opener” to the environmental issues coastal North Carolina faces.
UNCW Blue Economy Index bests its benchmarks in May
The university’s monthly economic measure of sustainable global uses of ocean resources is published on Bloomberg under the ticker: BLUEECO.
Opinion: Catch reports will improve fisheries management
Guest commentary: The state needs time to build out its new catch-reporting system, and while it may annoy some, the improved data will mean more fish, longer seasons.
Tree rings show summer 2023 was hottest in 2 millennia
After last year’s record-breaking temperatures, forecasts for this summer indicate another scorcher ahead, just as researchers find more troubling climate data and elected officials point to relief efforts.
Harvest reporting rules draw expletive-laden comments
Temporary mandatory harvest reporting rules for recreational and commercial fishers will go up for a vote next month by the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission and the N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission.
