N A T U R E T O U R I S M • S T R A T E G I C H A B I T A T S • M E R C U R Y T E S T I N G • C O A S T A L S O N G B I R D S Coastwatch N O R T H C A R O L I N A S E A G R A N T • 2 0 1 2 • I S S U E 3 • S U M M E R • $ 3 . 7 5
EXPLORING THE
NORTH CAROLINA COAST
F R O M T H E E D I T O R
Alamance
Alexander
Alleghany
Anson
Ashe
Beaufort
Bertie
Bladen
Burke
Cabarrus
Caldwell
Caswell
Catawba
Chatham
Clay
Cleveland
Columbus
Craven
Cumberland
Davidson Dare
Davie
Duplin
Durham
Franklin Edgecombe
Gaston
Gates
Graham
Granville
Greene
Halifax
Harnett
Henderson
Hoke
Hyde
Iredell
Jackson
Johnston
Jones
Lenoir
Lincoln
McDowell
Macon
Madison
Martin
Mitchell
Moore
Nash
Northampton
Onslow
Orange
Pamlico
Pender
Person
Pitt
Polk
Robeson
Rowan
Rutherford
Sampson
Scotland
Stanly
Stokes
Surry
Swain
Transylvania
Tyrrell
Union
Vance
Wake
Warren
Washington
Watauga
Wayne
Wilkes
Wilson
Yadkin
Yancey
PKY
40
40
40
85 95
77 85
26
Asheville
Asheboro
Greensboro Durham
Charlotte
Raleigh
Nags
Head
Washington
Jacksonville
Wilmington
Fayetteville
Morehead City
New Bern
Rocky Mount
Winston-Salem
Haywood
Buncombe
Avery
Pasquotank
Perquimans
Currituck
Camden
Chowan
Randolph
Montgomery
Mecklenburg
Rockingham
Lee
Richmond
Forsyth Guilford
Carteret
Hertford
Brunswick
Cherokee
New Hanover
Summer’s here. Perhaps you and your
loved ones are headed to the beach for some
down time. Keep your eyes peeled. You might
run into some of our researchers conducting
fieldwork while you’re catching some rays. Say
hello if you spot any of them.
While you’re enjoying the sand and the
surf, be safe. Mirek Dabrowski, whose Duck-based
company provides lifeguards for several
northern Outer Banks communities, sees a lot of
head and neck spine injuries in his line of work.
These often happen when beachgoers are thrown
head first by the waves, or dive and hit shallow
bottom. Dislocations, particularly of shoulders,
also are common.
Dabrowski has some simple rules for safe
beach play. First, do not underestimate the surf.
It can be stronger than you expect. Second, do
not overestimate your abilities. Our skills and
strength diminish with time and lack of practice.
Never turn your back on a wave. Go feet first into
the water. Caution is key.
Another important safety tool is proper and
timely information. On May 15, our partners at
the National Weather Service, or NWS, began
testing a Beach Hazards Statement as a single
source for coastal and beach hazard information.
The NWS Weather Forecasting Office in
Newport/Morehead City is one of six pilot sites
in the country. When issued, the Beach Hazards
Statement will be highlighted in turquoise on the
NWS Watch, Warning, and Advisory map at:
www.weather.gov.
According to the NWS, Beach Hazards
Statements “will inform the public about a wide
range of hazards, including rip currents and rough
seas, unusually cold water temperatures, potential
for lightning along the shoreline, high heat indices
and unusual wave conditions.” Statements also
will include information about environmental and
ecological hazards threatening the coast. Provide
feedback on this new service through a link on:
www.weather.gov.
Turns out, this summer also is the season
for awards for North Carolina Sea Grant and its
partners. Scott Baker, our fisheries specialist,
received the 2012 South Atlantic Sea Grant
Regional Outreach Award for his work on
community supported fisheries and other
promising business models. His nomination cites
his contributions to help fishermen enhance their
incomes, while educating inland consumers about
the importance of local seafood and the traditions
of fishing communities. He is entered into the
national-level competition and the winner will be
announced this fall.
The Walter B. Jones Memorial Awards
for Coastal and Ocean Resource Management
were named in June, and North Carolina snagged
prizes. Plymouth was recognized for Excellence
A Season for Relaxation and Recognition
I N T H I S I S S U E
Contributing Writers:
Brian Efland Terri Kirby Hathaway E-Ching Lee
Katie Mosher Chelsea Pierce Spencer Rogers Sharon Settlage
Megan Sharp Pam Smith
Contributing Photographers:
Sarah K. Amspacher Nate Bacheler Pete Bell Jeff Buckel
Brian Efland David Eggleston Amy Freitag Walker Golder
Jess Hawkins Jimmy Johnson Adam Jones Jo O’Keefe
Chris Layton Jeff Lewis Vanda Lewis Cameron Lowe
Craig McDuffie Ray Midgett Jodie Mitchum Shireen Nadir
Gene Pinder Spencer Rogers Sharon Settlage Pam Smith
Scott Taylor Marc Turano Sabrina Varnam Pete Watkins
North Carolina’s diverse coast offers countless interesting subjects.
The map indicates story settings in this issue — including
Brunswick, Carteret and New Hanover counties, and Pamlico Sound.
in Local Government. Sea Grant nominated the
community for its efforts to identify economic
growth opportunities while maintaining the
environmental quality that has earned the
Lower Roanoke River Basin a designation as
the state’s environmental “crown jewel.” Read
about Plymouth’s efforts to address sea-level
rise in the Spring 2012 issue of Coastwatch.
Also, six North Carolina scholars received
Excellence in Coastal and Marine Graduate
Study awards. This category recognizes
graduate students whose research promises to
contribute to new or improved approaches to
coastal or ocean management.
Coastwatch readers will see some familiar
names among the recipients: Michelle Brodeur,
featured in the Summer 2011 issue; Jennifer
Cudney-Burch, quoted in the Summer 2010
issue; Tim Ellis, highlighted in the Spring 2009
issue; and Michelle Covi, who wrote the Spring
2012 article on Plymouth. In addition, Rachel
Gittman from the University of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill and Matthew McCarthy from
UNC Wilmington were honored.
We will highlight these winners in our
next issue, but you can read more at: www.
ncseagrant.org.
Have a sunny and safe summer.
— E-Ching Lee,
Coastwatch Managing Editor
Summer 2012
F E A T U R E S
COA S TA L T I D I N G S ............................................................................2
Take it Outside: Wet and Wild Coastal North Carolina
Vacation season is upon us. Ready to do something a little different, such as
soaring, diving or howling? Pam Smith shares loads of ideas for nature-based
tourism. ........................................................................................6
The Pamlico Sound: Fishing Gem of North Carolina
Take out too many threads and the blanket may come unwoven. The idea
behind identifying strategic habitat areas is to keep the whole of the
state’s fisheries intact. Join Sharon Settlage as she explores the method
behind the plan to protect North Carolina’s fisheries. ..............................12
Hunting for Quicksilver: Testing Local Seafood for Mercury
E-Ching Lee gives us another reason for eating local. She talks with
scientists who tested the state’s seafood for contaminants. Find out why
national recommendations may not hold for North Carolina fish. .............18
N A T U R A L I S T ’ S N O T E B O O K : A Song Across the Water
Go beyond the beach with Megan Sharp. She shows us coastal songbirds
that are worth going a little out of the way to see — and hear. ................ 24
C U R R E N T S : Cruising to Fuel Savings
It’s costing more to fill up the boat this year. Take a ride with Brian
Efland and learn how to boost fuel efficiency. ...................................... .27
P E O P L E A N D P L A C E S : Currituck County Goes Green
Come along with Sharon Settlage to Powells Point for the Currituck
Sound Water Quality Fair. Learn how Currituck County is taking the
lead in environmental stewardship. ....................................................... 28
S E A S C I E N C E : Rolling with the Tide
Watch the tide with Terri Kirby Hathaway to learn how it forms and the
forces that shape it. .............................................................................. 30
MA R I N E R ’ S ME N U : Healthy Seafood Choices
Have an excess of cherry tomatoes? Check out a recipe for a crab-stuffed
tomato appetizer. Consider breaded triggerfish or sautéed mahi-mahi
as the main dish. .................................................................................. 33
coastwatch | summer 2012 | www.ncseagrant.org 1
Coastwatch
NATIONALOCEANICANDATMOSPHERICADMINISTRATION
U S DEPARTMENTOFCOMMERCE
2 coastwatch | summer 2012 | www.ncseagrant.org
Coastwatch North Carolina Sea Grant • 2012 • Issue 3 • Summer
Editor
Katie Mosher
Managing Editor
E-Ching Lee
Contributing Editor
Sharon Settlage
Designer
Linda Noble
Circulation Manager
Sandra Harris
The North Carolina Sea Grant College Program
is a federal/state program that promotes
stewardship of coastal and marine resources
through research and outreach.
It joined the National Sea Grant College Network
in 1970 as an institutional program.
Six years later, it was designated a Sea Grant College.
Today, North Carolina Sea Grant supports
research projects, an extension program
and a communications staff.
Michael Voiland is executive director.
The program is funded by the
U.S. Department of Commerce’s
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,
and the state through the University of North Carolina.
Coastwatch (ISSN: 1068-784X;
USPS Periodical # 010464) is published
five times a year (January/February, March/April/May,
June/July, August/September/October, November/
December) by the North Carolina Sea Grant
College Program, North Carolina State University,
Box 8605, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-8605.
Telephone: 919/515-2454. Fax: 919/515-7095.
Subscriptions are $15.
Email: eching_lee@ncsu.edu
World Wide Web address: http://www.ncseagrant.org
Periodical Postage paid at Raleigh, N.C.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to
Coastwatch, North Carolina Sea Grant,
North Carolina State University, Box 8605,
Raleigh, NC 27695-8605.
Cover photo of Carolina Beach
courtesy of VisitNC.com.
Table of contents graphic based on photo
of pink shrimp by Vanda Lewis.
Printed on recycled paper.
CInO theA NexSt IsTsueW of CAoaTstwCatchH
In the Autumn issue, we focus on what counties and federal agencies have learned from Irene to
improve forecasting and communication during storms. Also, find out about a study that monitors
fishermen on their boats using video cameras and sensors. In addition, explore North Carolina’s
Inner Banks where People-First Tourism is establishing a network of tourism businesses based
on the ecology, history and culture of local communities through Sea Grant-funded research.
C O A S T A L T I D I N G S
Voiland, Lee
Earn Awards
for Excellence
Michael Voiland, executive director
of North Carolina Sea Grant, and E-Ching
Lee, science writer/editor, took honors in
their respective categories at the 2012 awards
program for the North Carolina State University
Office of Research, Innovation and Economic
Development.
Voiland also serves as director of the
Water Resources Research Institute of the
University of North Carolina. The staffs of both
programs nominated him for management
excellence leading to major awards from
state and national agencies for contributions
to coastal research and applied practices.
Voiland, who will retire at the end of the
year, previously served as chair of the state’s
first Waterfront Access Study Committee,
which included members from all sides of the
sometimes-contentious issues dealing with
waterfront access. He led the committee to
make recommendations to the N.C. legislature
that resulted in a $20 million fund to support
public access along the North Carolina coast.
As managing editor of Sea Grant’s
award-winning magazine, Coastwatch, Lee
was recognized for her exceptional service in,
among other areas, selecting news topics that
keep the state’s citizens informed, such as ways
coastal communities can plan their futures
effectively. She also was cited for her work with
undergraduate and graduate interns.
The NC State Awards for Excellence
program recognizes permanent employees
for “outstanding accomplishments that do
not fall entirely within normal duties, but are
a major contribution reflecting credit on the
person and the state.”
Five university winners moved to the
Governor’s Award for Excellence selection
process set for later this year. — K.M.
North Carolina Sea Grant was
well represented at the 2012
Awards for Excellence.
Gene Pinder
coastwatch | summer 2012 | www.ncseagrant.org 3
Tiger Shrimp
Sightings Increase
Recent sightings of Asian tiger
shrimp off the Atlantic and Gulf coasts
have sparked concern among researchers
and shrimpers. Scientists from the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
and U.S. Geological Survey are working with
North Carolina and Texas agencies to find
the cause for their presence in U.S. waters.
Pam Fuller, USGS biologist, notes that
the sightings of tiger shrimp have increased
nearly 20 fold from 32 in 2011 to 593 this
year in the Pamlico Sound.
Some scientists believe the non-native
shrimp arrived by boat, while others
suggest currents are responsible.
NOAA scientists will look at the pos-sibility
that the Asian shrimp are breeding
and the effects the shrimp will have on na-tive
shrimp. North Carolina’s native shrimp
are brown shrimp; pink shrimp, also known
as spotted shrimp; and white shrimp, also
known as green-tailed shrimp.
“Asian tiger shrimp are larger in size
than Carolina shrimp and have distinctive
markings as adults, but they are difficult
to distinguish at younger stages,” explains
Marc Turano, North Carolina Sea Grant
extension specialist.
Anyone who spots a tiger shrimp
should alert NOAA by reporting the sighting
to: nas.er.usgs.gov/SightingReport.aspx. — C.P.
C O A S T A L T I D I N G S
Sturgeon Listed as Endangered
The Atlantic sturgeon was named a
federally endangered species in April.
The National Marine Fisheries Service
published a final rule in the Federal Register that
lists the Carolina and South Atlantic population
segments, both of which are prevalent in North
Carolina waters, as endangered. It has been illegal
to harvest Atlantic sturgeon in the state’s coastal
waters since 1991.
The Endangered Species Act prohibits the
take — including harassing, harming, pursuing,
wounding, killing, trapping, capturing or
collecting — of listed species.
A federal status review of Atlantic sturgeon
concluded that the fish are caught as bycatch in
commercial fisheries along the entire U.S. Atlantic
Coast. Sturgeon are primarily caught in waters
less than 50 meters deep by commercial and
recreational fisheries using trawls and gillnets.
The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries, along
with most other East Coast states, opposes this
Fisheries Science in the Spotlight
The annual meeting of the Tidewater Chapter of the American Fisheries Society provided an
opportunity for students to strut their stuff in front of an audience interested in fisheries research.
“The function provides a formal but relatively low-pressure venue for students to gain experience
in giving presentations in public. It provides a chance for informal, constructive advice to our students
that improves their presentations and their science,” explains Sara Mirabilio, North Carolina Sea
Grant fisheries specialist.
The meeting was held in March at the N.C. Maritime Museum in Beaufort. Students presented
posters and projects funded by state and federal programs that Sea Grant administers.
Several East Carolina University students presented Sea Grant-supported research that studied
the depletion of river herring stocks. On a positive note, an ECU group reported a 10-fold increase in
river herring larvae relative to a 1981 study.
ECU researchers also encouraged the use of calibrated gillnets to count fish, such as spiny
dogfish, that swim high in the water column.
A North Carolina State University study used a novel tagging technique to track small fish
migrations — a potential method to monitor water quality. NC State research also improved methods
for estimating blue crab populations after storm events.
A University of North Carolina Wilmington study found that maturity assessments of southern
flounder might need to be reconsidered. 	 	 	 	 — S.B.S.
ABOVE, LEFT TO RIGHT: The oyster toadfish is the mascot for the AFS Tidewater Chapter. • Atlantic sturgeon is considered one of the oldest fish species in the world. • Tiger shrimp can grow to 13 inches.
listing based on its review of available scientific
data that show Atlantic sturgeon stocks
are improving coast-wide. With this listing,
fishermen will be subject to federal fines and
penalties if they interact with the fish.
Chris Batsavage, DMF protected resources
section chief, notes that the agency is requesting
an incidental take permit under Section 10
of the Endangered Species Act for the state’s
estuarine gillnet fisheries. These permits allow
for the taking of endangered species that occur
incidentally to an otherwise lawful activity under
specific limitations.
“In addition, the Marine Fisheries
Commission asked the DMF to develop a
suite of potential management options for the
protection of Atlantic sturgeon,” Batsavage
explains. “These potential management options
will be reviewed by the regional advisory
committees this summer before they are
presented to the commission in August.” — E.L.
Duane Raver
Duane Raver
NOAA
C O A S T A L T I D I N G S
Recreational Fisheries
Forum Showcases
Data Gathering
North Carolina Sea Grant
renewed a tradition with the 2012 Marine
Recreational Fisheries Forum, held in
Raleigh in April. The event drew anglers,
researchers and fisheries managers to
discuss a range of topics from stocks’
status, to efforts to gather data on
recreational catches.
Sea Grant hosted an annual forum
series from 1992 to 1997. The 2012
meeting was designed to engage the
recreational fishing community on current
issues through a facilitated discussion
outside of the regulatory arena.
“We were pleased with the
program and discussion. We
anticipate an even greater turnout
for a 2013 forum that will be held
early next year,” says Scott Baker,
a Wilmington-based fisheries
specialist, who organized the event,
along with Sea Grant colleague Sara
Mirabilio in Manteo.
Mirabilio adds “87 percent
of the attendees found that the
meeting provided them new
viewpoints or insights.”
Presenters included university
researchers and representatives of the N.C.
Division of Marine Fisheries, the Mid-
Atlantic Fishery Management Council,
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, and the Coastal
Conservation Association North Carolina.
Also, N.C. Representative Tom
Murry of Raleigh noted that some related
topics could come up in the N.C. General
Assembly’s summer short session,
including recommendations from a marine
fisheries’ management study committee.
Watch future issues of Coastwatch
and Sea Grant’s online calendar for
more information on the 2013 forum.
Presentations from the 2012 meeting are
available at: www.ncseagrant.org/recfishforum.
	 — K.M.
4 coastwatch | summer 2012 | www.ncseagrant.org
Permeable Pavement Workshop
The Friday Center in Chapel Hill, Fayetteville Technical
Community College and a shopping center in Rocky Mount,
plus many other sites in North Carolina, have turned to
permeable pavement to reduce stormwater runoff.
North Carolina State University; N.C. Division of the
Environment and Natural Resources, or DENR; and North
Carolina Sea Grant are sponsoring permeable pavement
workshops throughout this summer. Although several are sold out, others slated for Chapel Hill,
Wilson and Asheville still have spots. Early bird discounts are available.
The impetus for the workshops comes from updated DENR regulations. Bill Hunt, on faculty
with the department of biological and agricultural engineering at NC State, conducted pioneering
research on permeable pavement that indicates its usefulness from the mountains to the coast.
Previous DENR regulations gave stormwater credit only for permeable surfaces at the coast.
Engineers, landscape architects and others interested in the practice should attend. However,
the sessions are useful for a broad audience. Professional development hours are available for
professional engineers and surveyors.
For more information, go to: www.ncseagrant.org and click on Issues and Events. Then search for
links to the permeable pavement workshops,
including speakers and registration.
To see a national map of businesses and
residences that use permeable pavement, go
to: nemonet.uconn.edu and select the National
LID Atlas. 	 — S.B.S.
Storm season started before June 1 this year,
with tropical storms Alberto and Beryl forming in
late May. However, multiple outlooks anticipate
the 2012 hurricane season to be milder than last
year, when Hurricane Irene caused devastation.
North Carolina State University’s Atlantic
Tropical Cyclone Outlook indicates that 2012
hurricanes will be “on par with the long-term
average over the past 62 years.” The report also
notes that storm activity will be below that of the
last 20 years.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration also expects a tame season.
“NOAA’s outlook predicts a less active season
compared to recent years,” notes administrator
Jane Lubchenco.
NOAA recently declared Hurricane Irene
as retired from the list of Atlantic Basin Storm
Names, due to the damage caused in 2011.
NOAA stresses staying safe and alert during
the hurricane season. “There is a reason why we
warn for these events and people should take
them seriously,” explained newly retired National
Hurricane Center Coordinator Bill Read at the
2012 N.C. Hurricane Workshop. North Carolina
Sea Grant co-sponsored the meeting held at East
Carolina University.
During hurricane season, coastal residents
should have supplies ready for extreme weather
conditions. “We don’t know when that hurricane
is going to impact us. It could be in a low-frequency
year, so we have to be ready no matter
what,” says John Cole, warning coordination
meteorologist for the National Weather Service
office in Newport/Morehead City.
State and federal agencies suggest creating
an emergency kit with water, nonperishable
foods, a first aid kit, a radio, a flashlight and
batteries. Also include necessary medications
and important legal documents.
For the latest in hurricane research, visit:
researchmatters.noaa.gov/news/Pages/hurricanes.aspx.
For more information on extreme weather
preparedness visit: www.readync.org and: www.
ready.gov/hurricanes. 	 — C.P.
Average Hurricane
Season Predicted
A permeable pavement sidewalk at N.C. Wildlife
Resource Commission’s Centennial Campus
Center for Wildlife Education.
Chris Layton
Sharon Settlage
coastwatch | summer 2012 | www.ncseagrant.org 5
C O A S T A L T I D I N G S
Students, Teachers
Create Questions
for ‘Molly by the Sea’
Molly has some new friends.
Students and teachers from Manteo
Elementary School collaborated to write
discussion questions for “Molly by the
Sea.” The piece was published in the
Spring 2012 issue of Coastwatch.
“Marine education is a truly
multidisciplinary subject — using the ocean
and the marine environment to teach all
subjects, not just science, is what it’s all
about,” says Terri Kirby Hathaway, North
Carolina Sea Grant’s marine education
specialist. “‘Molly by the Sea’ is an easy
tool for teachers to use in their classroom.”
Jodie Mitchum’s 5th grade
Academically or Intellectually Gifted
students, along with Title I teacher Pat
Baker, produced comprehension questions
that meet Common Core State Standards
for grades 3 and 4. This curriculum is
accepted in North Carolina’s public school
system and in many public school systems
nationwide.
“My students were so excited and
motivated to do an excellent job with
writing the questions,” Mitchum says.
“The kids did a great job of trying to make
them common core aligned and somewhat
rigorous. What a great task for them at this
stage in their reading development!”
Baker also praised the short story.
“Through Molly’s eyes, my students
are more knowledgeable of our unique
habitat. This is a special goal of mine and I
feel it is important for the livelihood of our
community,” she notes.
For more, visit: www.ncseagrant.org/
s/molly. — M.S.
NC Documentary Covers the Waterfront
Seafood seasonality and coastal
communities were in the spotlight in the UNC-TV
documentary “North Carolina’s Local Catch.”
If you missed the initial airing, check UNC-TV
channel listings for rebroadcasts. “We consider
this a strong program,” explains Shannon Vickery,
UNC-TV director of production. “We plan to use it
well into the future.”
Funded by the N.C. Fishery Resource Grant
Program, the documentary also is available at:
www.unctv.org/nclocalcatch. DVD copies for personal
and educational viewing can be requested from
North Carolina Sea Grant or UNC-TV.
“The online program has already been shown
in classrooms, and we have had requests from
local governments and coastal businesses, as well
as ‘catch’ groups at the local and state levels,”
notes Barry Nash, Sea Grant seafood specialist
who was on UNC-TV’s “North Carolina Now”
public affairs program before the documentary
debuted.
Nash anticipates that seafood markets
will run the piece and provide online links to
help customers understand more about their
products. Also, restaurants and realty companies
may show it during the busy summer seasons, as
will parks and visitors’ centers.
The program provided information on
harvest seasons for fish, tips on identifying high-quality
seafood and even producer Rick Sullivan’s
feast with family and friends. “Yes, you can try
this at home,” Sullivan adds.
Many of those interviewed during the
program have heard rave reviews from friends,
customers and viewers.
Even coastal natives found themselves
learning something. “There were things that
surprised them, like the statistics on the best-selling
seafood,” notes Gaye Varnam Fulford,
who participates in Brunswick Catch.
To request a DVD copy for classroom or
informal educational uses, call Sea Grant at
919/515-9101; send an email to: sandra_harris@
ncsu.edu; or check with an office in Raleigh,
Manteo, Morehead City or Wilmington. For
additional information on uses for the video,
contact: svickery@unctv.org. The documentary
is not available for broadcast on other TV
channels. 	 — K.M.
Raleigh Charter Earns National Honors
Raleigh Charter High School took second
place at the annual National Ocean Sciences
Bowl, held in Baltimore in April. The team
advanced to the national competition by winning
the North Carolina contest, known as the Blue
Heron Bowl.
Ben Whitfield, Jonathan Tseng, Dan Qu,
Ben Hames and Jonathan Cookmeyer were on
the team.
They competed against 25 other high
schools from across the nation. The contest
consisted of multiple-choice questions on ocean
knowledge, answered individually, as well as more
challenging team questions.
Each team also presented on offshore
renewable energy. “The team’s willingness to
take chances to win was the most impressive,”
coach Whit Hames recalls.
The Raleigh teens’ efforts were rewarded
with a trip to Mississippi, where the students
will be tagging sharks, kayaking in the sea, and
studying fish and dolphins. “This kind of field
experience changes people. It shows them the
world,” the biology teacher adds.
North Carolina State University will host
the 2013 Blue Heron Bowl.
For details on the 2012 North Carolina
competition, go to: www.ecu.edu/icsp/bhb2012/.
For more information on the National Ocean
Sciences Bowl, visit: www.nosb.org. — C.P.
ABOVE: Blackened red drum was featured in the program.
Pete Bell/UNC-TV
Jodie Mitchum
ABOVE: Fifth grade AIG students from Manteo
Elementary School.
6 coastwatch | summer 2012 | www.ncseagrant.org
Jo O’Keefe
Craig McDuffie
Pete Watkins
coastwatch | summer 2012 | www.ncseagrant.org 7
C o n t i n u e d
Question: What might visitors opt to do while
on vacation in coastal North Carolina?
A. Soar like a bird.
B. Dive like a fish.
C. Howl like a wolf.
D. All of the above.
Answer: All of the above.
Indeed, variety is the essence of the
coastal experience for visitors who want to
observe nature, and be part of it; to learn about
it, and from it.
Lucky for them, a growing number
of nature-based tourism opportunities
complement traditional leisure activities that
have drawn tourists for decades to North
Carolina’s renowned sun-drenched beaches,
fishing meccas and bird-watching vistas.
“North Carolina’s coastal woods and
waters are full of opportunities for ecotourists,”
says Jack Thigpen, North Carolina Sea
Grant extension director. “The diversity
of wildlife and plants, together with small
waterfront communities, make for a wonderful
experience. Increasing tourism also is creating
business opportunities for local entrepreneurs.”
Here and globally, communities
and businesses are embracing ecotourism
principles that promote responsible activities
in and with nature, build environmental and
cultural awareness and respect for natural
resources, and provide financial benefits for
local people and conservation efforts.
It’s a good bet that coastal ecotourism
makes a significant contribution to the
state. The N.C. Division of Tourism, Film
Development and Sports’ overall 2010
economic report says:
“Visitors traveling to and within the state
of North Carolina spent a record $17 billion
in 2010, supporting more than 40,000 North
Carolina businesses and directly supporting
183,900 jobs all across the state. State and local
tax revenues generated as a result of visitor
spending totals more than $1.5 billion annually.
North Carolina ranks as the 6th most visited
state in the United States.”
• Take it Outdoors
It’s encouraging to note that a recent study
by The Outdoor Foundation shows that more
Americans participated in outdoor recreation
activities in 2011 than in the past five years.
Birding, running, biking, fishing and paddling
were among the activities reported.
Many coastal communities are responding
to the trend toward active lifestyles by develop-ing
recreation facilities that include hiking trails
and dockside entry for kayaks and canoes. The
Take it
WET AND WILD COASTAL NORTH CAROLINA
B y P a m S m i t h
Top, left to right: A stone crab scurries along the wet sand. • Coastal waters are full of opportunities for
ecotourists. • Scuba-Now divers explore colorful ledges. • Ibis enjoy a buffet in shallow waters.
Bottom: A Forbes’ sea star is a magical find for any beachcomber.
Jess Hawkins
Jo O’Keefe
8 coastwatch | summer 2012 | www.ncseagrant.org
Brunswick County Nature Park, for example,
has 900 acres with miles of hiking trails through
pristine woodlands. Floating docks enable up to
four canoes or kayaks at a time to easily slip into
the placid black waters of Town Creek.
“Nothing beats the stealthiness of
kayaking and canoeing for wildlife and birding
in out-of-the-way, backwater habitats,” Thigpen
points out.
On the other hand, he says, birding is a
portable pastime that is enhanced by a love for
the outdoors, a pair of binoculars, and a bird
identification book, such as a copy of The North
Carolina Birding Trail Coastal Plain Trail
Guide.
The North Carolina Birding
Trail connects birders with more than
100 birding sites east of Interstate 95
and the communities in which they
are found. The driving trail’s website,
www.ncbirdingtrail.org, also links
visitors to local businesses to help
support and stimulate local economies.
“Many new kinds of ecotourism
businesses are springing up along the
coast. In some cases, watermen are
testing the waters for new opportunities
by offering inshore naturalist trips
or offshore pelagic bird-watching
explorations,” Thigpen adds.
• Soar Like a Bird
For adventure-seeking visitors with an
urge to fly like a bird, there is Kitty Hawk
Kites, a popular Outer Banks adventure
recreation hotspot. After proper flight-school
instructions, a tourist can trek with a guide
to the top of Jockey’s Ridge State Park, strap
on hang-gliding gear, and soar with gulls and
hawks high above the 420-acre sand dune
system, the tallest of its kind in the eastern
United States.
When Jack Harris and his business
partner, Ralph Buxton, launched Kitty Hawk
Kites in 1974, the Outer Banks was a mere
blip on the national tourism radar screen.
Recreational fishing, seasonal hunting and
beachcombing at the Cape Hatteras National
Seashore were the main attractions for visitors.
“Frankly, a lot of people thought we
were a bit crazy and that the business wouldn’t
last long,” Harris recalls. “Not a lot was
going on out here. In fact, the area was pretty
impoverished.”
Nevertheless, Harris was inspired by
a photo he had seen in the Winston-Salem
Journal of someone hang gliding off
Grandfather Mountain. Soon after, his mail-order
hang glider arrived.
“We assembled it and took it to Jockey’s
Ridge and ran up and down the ridge until we
figured out the art of taking off,” he says.
“Nothing beats the stealthiness of
kayaking and canoeing for wildlife
and birding in out-of-the-way,
backwater habitats. — Jack Thigpen
It took a bit longer for the business to
take off. State improvement projects were
instrumental in the Outer Banks becoming a
year-round tourist destination, Harris says.
While most visitors are from out of
state, roadways, bridges and ferries now bring
significantly more North Carolinians from the
Triangle, Triad and Charlotte areas.
As Outer Banks tourism has grown, so
has Kitty Hawk Kites. Today, the franchise
boasts expanded flight training and hang
gliding services at Jockey’s Ridge and the
Wright Brothers National Memorial. Kayak
ecotours, parasailing, surfing and paddleboard
lessons are offered at several locations. Harris
partners with other local entrepreneurs to help
market ecotourism ventures that range from
dolphin-watching boat tours to guided Segway
tours at a wild mustang preserve in Corolla.
Harris says hang gliding remains his true
passion. “You can work the kite to catch a
thermal lift — an exhilarating experience. You
feel connected to nature and that moment in
history when the Wright Brothers took flight a
short distance from here. The wind and water
work together to form Jockey’s Ridge, the
perfect platform for flight.”
The take-home message for Kitty Hawk
Kites patrons is simple, Harris says. “Our
natural resources are incredible and wonderful.
We need to enjoy them, respect them and
protect them from negative impacts.”
Top: Jess and Diane Hawkins enjoy talking about ecotourism
adventures aboard Lucky Dog. Middle: A hang glider takes
off atop Jockey’s Ridge to soar with the birds. Bottom: Black
skimmers and gulls congregate before they hunt for fish.
Pam Smith
Courtesy Kitty Hawk Kites
Jo O’Keefe
coastwatch | summer 2012 | www.ncseagrant.org 9
C o n t i n u e d
• Teachable Moments
Further south, in the waters surrounding
Cape Lookout National Seashore, you’re likely
to find Capt. Jess Hawkins aboard his boat,
Lucky Dog. He’ll be doing what he loves best —
helping visitors discover the natural treasures of
the Crystal Coast.
Hawkins, a marine biologist by vocation
and avocation, launched Crystal Coast Ecotours
out of Morehead City three years ago after a
30-year career with the N.C. Division of Marine
Fisheries. During peak summer months, most
of his passengers are out-of-state vacationers.
Many return each season to the same rental
properties and further adventures aboard
Lucky Dog.
Each excursion is unique, he says, because
of daily and seasonal changes that occur
in a variety of aquatic habitats — sea grass
meadows, backwater sounds and marshes.
One thing that does not change is the
excitement of his passengers when they spot
dolphins surfacing nearby. During summer
months, dolphins lead their young into the
backwater fisheries nursery area where food is
abundant and predators are scarce.
“The nets yield a multitude of
surprises even for an old marine
biologist like me. Seeing the joy of
discovery — that aha moment — on our
passengers’ faces makes this a very
fulfilling adventure.” — Jess Hawkins
Another sure hit for Hawkins’ passengers
is seeing the wild horses that roam on
Shackleford Banks, a secluded barrier island that
is part of the Cape Lookout National Seashore.
The horses are said to be descendents of horses
brought to the New World by Spanish explorers.
Hawkins also provides hands-on teachable
moments through clamming, crabbing, and
pulling seine nets through the shallow brackish
waters.
“The nets yield a multitude of surprises
even for an old marine biologist like me. Seeing
the joy of discovery —
that aha moment — on
our passengers’ faces
makes this a very
fulfilling adventure,”
Hawkins asserts.
• Howl like
a Wolf
Hawkins
also evokes “aha
moments” at
the nearby Pine
Knoll Shores Aquarium, where he shares his
knowledge of marine biology as an instructor
for various programs.
Terri Kirby Hathaway, Sea Grant
marine education specialist, believes informal
educational programs, such as those offered at
the state’s three aquariums, are wonderful ways
to “extend” the aquarium experience.
“Visitors observe a simulated
environment at the aquariums, then gain a
deeper understanding and appreciation for
the environment through a hands-on nature
experience,” Hathaway points out.
Like the aquariums, most North Carolina
state parks, coastal reserves and national
wildlife refuges offer
self-guided tours,
as well as structured
programs.
“Self-guided
walks are meaningful
and visitors take away
an appreciation for the
beauty and diversity in
nature. With structured
programs, visitors are
guided by someone who knows what is there,
what to look for, and even what to listen for,”
Hathaway explains.
“With birds, you usually hear them before
you see them. I’ll tell you this — the great blue
heron makes a gosh-awful noise. It’s one that
makes a lasting impression and stays with you
as a great take-home experience,” she says with
conviction.
At Alligator River National Wildlife
Refuge, staff members offer a unique experience
— the chance to gather around a campfire
at nightfall, learn about the comeback of the
Top: Sea Grant’s Brian Efland enjoys kayak fishing with a close-up view of the
ponies on Shackleford Banks. Middle left: Segway tours are popular ways to enjoy
coastal visits. Middle right: A ghost crab seems to pose for the camera.
Bottom: Sea beach amaranth is a rare find at Sunset Beach.
Courtesy Kitty Hawk Kites
Jo O’Keefe
Jo O’Keefe
Nate Bacheler
10 coastwatch | summer 2012 | www.ncseagrant.org
endangered red wolf and participate in a
“howling.”
Hathaway even appreciates the informal
educational value of a solitary walk on the
beach. As a founding member of Beachcomb
Alliance International, she knows that these
walks are more than collecting shells, sea glass
or sea beans. Rather, each discovery is a clue to
the history, geology and biology of the region.
• Beach-comb
for
Science
Beach-combing
often
is the gateway
to a lifelong
commitment to
being a citizen
scientist.
Such is the
case for Jo O’Keefe,
a Brunswick County
resident with a love
for all things coastal.
She moved to the
county in 2002
with a camera and
a determination to
learn as much as
she could about her
new surroundings.
Early on, she was captivated by the
biodiversity of Bird Island, in the N.C.
Coastal Reserve system. The living laboratory
became her classroom, photo studio and
connection to many university marine science
researchers.
These days, she turns her keen eye to
Sunset Beach, timing her walks along the
shoreline during an ebbing tide. O’Keefe looks
for aberrations in the wet sand near the water’s
edge — a triangle impression in the sand
turns out to be a colorful whelk; a mounded
impression, a moon snail. She places each live
find in a bucket of seawater.
“The beach is different every day. I never
get tired of it,” she says, scooping up a whelk
egg case and shaking it to hear the sound of
miniscule shells inside.
She often becomes a “Pied Piper” of sorts,
engaging vacationing families in the pursuit
of beach treasure. At the end of a typical walk,
she “reviews” the contents of her bucket and
may ask someone in the group to return the
live animals to the sea. Then, she’ll hand empty
containers to the children in the group, telling
them, “I taught you how to be a naturalist, now
you can do it on your own.”
O’Keefe takes some discoveries home
in small containers for further study and
classification. Others are captured with her
camera for posting on a website filled with her
nature photography. Along with the images,
O’Keefe provides interesting environmental
information.
She believes that the more people learn
about and are engaged in coastal ecology,
the more likely they will become partners in
protecting it.
• Dive Like a Fish
The dive team at Scuba-Now in
Wilmington has a similar philosophy. The
mission of the training and dive center is to make
scuba diving safe and affordable, and to turn the
world’s dive population into ocean protectors.
“We have seen an increase in scuba diving.
New technology and the lower cost of gear help
promote the sport,” says Pete Watkins, a dive
master and underwater photographer.
The center certifies about 800 divers
annually through rigorous training programs that
include class time and pool time before students
graduate to an actual dive. About a quarter of
the Scuba-Now students are from outside the
Wilmington area, according to Inman Campbell,
shop manager and boat captain.
Scuba-Now operates four vessels, including
a newly acquired 40-foot boat that can hold up to
20 divers, Campbell says.
“There’s definitely a learning curve to
master,” says J.D. Williams, operations manager
and dive master. “You are dealing with strong
currents and visibility issues. We preach safety
and knowing your limits. We also preach
conservation — look but don’t touch, especially
when it comes to coral. Once you master the art
of buoyancy, you can fly underwater and keeping
away becomes easier.”
Top: Jo O’Keefe talks about the ‘catch of the day’ with Sunset Beach
visitors Chloe Lock, Jackie Atkins and Haley Idol from Kernersville.
Middle: Capt. Doug Springer explains the ecology and history of
the Cape Fear River to Maureen and Fred Halek of Gastonia. Bottom:
Looking toward Wilmington, Springer’s passengers observe the
shoreline change where fresh water meets brackish river water.
Pam Smith
Pam Smith
Pam Smith
coastwatch | summer 2012 | www.ncseagrant.org 11
The most popular dive sites for that
company are several offshore artificial reefs.
Skilled divers prefer a ledge 100 feet deep off
Carolina Beach where fossilized teeth of meg-alodon
— the giant shark that lived millions of
years ago — are found in abundance.
Underwater photographers find countless
colorful subjects on dives near Frying Pan
Shoals Light Tower, where many tropical and
subtropical fish species cluster, Watkins says.
“I have taken photos of neon goby,
French angel fish, and too many lionfish to
count. The underwater world is amazing. You
feel like a pioneer discovering a new world.
At the same time, the shipwrecks give you a
glimpse into history,” Watkins adds.
“I have taken photos of neon goby,
French angel fish, and too many
lionfish to count. The underwater
world is amazing. You feel like
a pioneer discovering a new world.
At the same time, the shipwrecks
give you a glimpse into history.”
	 — Pete Watkins
• History Meets Ecology
Climb aboard the Wilmington with Capt.
Doug Springer at the helm. The state-of-the-art,
custom-built catamaran is the flagship of
Wilmington Water Tours, an ecotour venture
that Springer operates with his wife Diane and
business partners Garland Valentine and Mary
DeLollo.
Springer’s favorite cruise offering is a
black water adventure into the upper reaches of
the northeast Cape Fear River. The tour merges
history and ecology with tales of Colonial
settlements, thriving rice plantations, geology
and important wildlife habitat.
“Before there was an Interstate 40,”
Springer reminds the mostly out-of-state
passengers, “there was the Cape Fear River. It
still is a strong economic engine for the region.”
Three miles up the river, a colony of
osprey has returned for the new nesting
season. In 2011, there were more than 20
nests, with up to three chicks per nest. “They
have plenty to eat since menhaden fish
populations began to rebound,” he explains.
Springer slows the Wilmington to point
out a sudden change in the shoreline. “That’s
the Cape Fear Mountain — a geological uplift
that occurred tens of thousands of years ago.
It forms the basis for the Castle Hayne aquifer
that runs from Wilmington to New Jersey.”
Springer, a former Cape Fear
riverkeeper, has a clear message for all
passengers: “This is your river. Learn to use
it. Learn to take care of it. It’ll be your river
forever.”
A recent middle-school field trip ended
with a lively round of questions and answers.
The session concluded when a student asked
if he could say something. Springer nodded
consent. And, on cue, all the students stood up
and said in unison: “It’s our river.”
North Carolina Tourism Tidbits
The following is a sampling of
ecotourism opportunities available along
North Carolina’s coast:
• N.C. Division of Tourism, Film and
Sports Development website has information
about North Carolina’s coast and beaches:
www.visitnc.com.
• N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation
page has details about park locations and
programs: www.ncparks.gov.
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s website
has information about visiting wildlife
refuges: www.fws.gov.
• National Parks Service lists coastal
sites in North Carolina: www.nps.gov.
• N.C. Aquariums organizes summer
camps for kids: www.ncaquariums.com.
• N.C. Birding Trail Official Guide
website has trail guides and resources: www.
ncbirdingtrail.org.
• N.C. Paddle Trail Association has
maps: www.ncpaddletrails.info.
• Coastal nature photography and
information: www.okeefes.org.
• Scuba-Now information: www.scuba-now.
com.
• Ecotours with Capt. Jess Hawkins:
www.crystalcoastecotours.com.
• Ecotours with Capt. Doug Springer:
www.wilmingtonwatertours.com.
• Kitty Hawk Kites history and services:
www.kittyhawk.com.
• Beachcomb Alliance International:
www.beachcomballiance.org.
• 2012 Beachcombers Conference:
www.beachcombingconference.com.
Top left: Crystal Coast Ecotours provided
this moment of discovery for Logan Rooks
of Virginia. Top right: An angel fish is
‘caught’ by a Scuba-Now photographer.
Bottom: Underwater photography is a
growing interest for scuba divers.
Jess Hawkins
Pete Watkins
Pete Watkins
pamlico sound
12 coastwatch | summer 2012 | www.ncseagrant.org
C o n t i n u e d
Habitat — it’s a word you’ll
see often in the North Carolina
Coastal Habitat Protection Plan.
What does the blue crab have
to do with the six major habitats
defined by the plan? All are needed
during its complex life cycle. Take
away a habitat and the state’s
number one fishery might be
jeopardized.
In fact, many fish use multiple
habitats over the course of a lifetime.
Different habitats provide refuge,
	
spawning, foraging and nursery
	
areas for many sea animals during
their life cycles.
Right: Trawlers in Swan Quarter Harbor.
THE PAMLICO SOUND:
Fishing Gem of North Carolina
B Y S H A R O N B . S E T T L A G E
Jimmy Johnson
coastwatch | summer 2012 | www.ncseagrant.org 13
fishing
14 coastwatch | summer 2012 | www.ncseagrant.org
That’s why the North Carolina Coastal Habitat Protection Plan, or
CHPP, defined the characteristics of these six habitats:
• The water column is low in sediment and pollutants, and flows
unobstructed, connecting the other aquatic habitats.
• Shell bottom is made up of concentrations of living and dead
oysters, clams and other shellfish.
• Submerged aquatic vegetation, or SAV, consists of grasses
and other plants that are always underwater.
• Wetlands are commonly referred to as swamps or marshes.
• Soft bottom is an unconsolidated, unvegetated, sandy or muddy
base.
• Hard bottom is a rocky outcrop found in oceans or rivers, often
attracting a rich abundance of adult and spawning fish.
Each was considered when the Strategic Habitat Area Advisory
Committee recommended areas of excellence in North Carolina’s
coastal plain for nomination as Strategic Habitat Areas or SHAs.
The CHPP document, first published in 2005 and updated in 2010,
calls for the nomination of SHAs. The Fisheries Reform Act legislated
the creation of CHPP. Protecting and enhancing fisheries is the goal
in identifying and caring for areas essential for fish reproduction and
growth.
The CHPP steering committee is made of representatives from
Marine Fisheries, Coastal Resources, Environmental Management and
Wildlife Resources commissions. The committee holds quarterly public
meetings to evaluate strategies and hear research reports.
In addition to division directors and N.C. Department of
Environment and Natural Resources senior staff, a variety of state
environmental officials frequently attend the meetings.
“One of the driving goals of CHPP was to unite agencies and to
unite divisions and departments within agencies that all have some
responsibility for environmental quality that affects fish,” notes Pete
Peterson, chair of the CHPP steering committee and vice-chair of the
Environmental Management Commission.
The committee established a systematic approach for the
identification of the SHAs and divided the North Carolina coastal plain
into four management regions.
Region 1 assessment was completed in 2009. Region 1 includes
the Albemarle and Currituck sounds and the Chowan River.
The Pamlico Sound area, which includes its tributaries up to
the fall-line near Rocky Mount, Roanoke Rapids and Smithfield and
3 miles of ocean waters from the shoreline, was chosen as the second
region to examine due to its importance to North Carolina’s fisheries.
Region 3 includes Core and Bogue sounds, and New and White
Oak rivers. Region 4 includes the Cape Fear River and southern
estuaries.
Jen Weaver, a graduate fellow funded by both the N.C. Division
of Marine Fisheries, or DMF, and North Carolina Sea Grant, was a
key player in marking the SHAs for Region 2. Fellow Tim Ellis helped
DMF with Region 1.
• FISHING THE PAMLICO
The Pamlico Sound, which is the largest body of water in the four
regions, is known as the fishing gem of North Carolina.
A multiplicity of habitat features contributes to the high diversity
of the Pamlico system. This includes SAV, oyster-rich rocks and primary
nursery areas for juvenile species. All six habitat types occur in the region
and make it a prime spot for fishing.
Just ask Capt. Adam Jones, owner of AJ’s Sea Duck and Trophy
Swan Hunts. “Sometimes we catch and release 25 red drum in a trip,”
Jones explains. He says that the fishing is best in late July to September
when the red drum migrate with mullet into the sound. “Everything they
need to support them is here,” he adds.
It’s the same for the blue crab. “Blue crabs are unique in that they use
all the habitats in the Pamlico Sound estuary,” comments David Eggleston, a
Scott Taylor
Map by Christine Jensen
integrating
coastwatch | summer 2012 | www.ncseagrant.org 15
North Carolina State University marine biolo-gist
who has tracked blue crab movement
with funding from state and federal research
programs administered by Sea Grant.
Blue crabs use soft bottom for
overwintering and protection from predators.
The young megalopa and crabs in the soft-shelled
stage live in the SAV. Adults forage
in hard bottom, shell bottom and wetlands.
The water column is important as the
crabs swim about. The females tend to stay
in the more saline estuary, while the males may move up the less saline
tidal creeks. They meet at the mouths of the creeks for mating.
Wetlands, shell bottom and SAV not only directly provide habitat to
animals like blue crab, but also are particularly important for improving
water quality. They reduce erosion, filter water and slow wave activity.
• INTEGRATING INFORMATION
Over the course of years, DMF and other researchers have studied
the North Carolina coast in an effort to map the many features important to
state fisheries. Maps of the locations of important habitats helped identify
the SHAs.
Sea Grant and
DMF jointly award a
fellowship each year to an
exceptional student to work
on fisheries issues under
the direction of aquatic
biologist Jeff Buckel at NC
State’s Center for Marine
Sciences and Technology
in Morehead City.
Weaver, who has a Master of Environmental Management degree
from Duke University, came on board as the DMF fellow to analyze
fisheries monitoring numbers collected from the Pamlico Sound. These
statistics would be part of a massive data collection used by the DMF
with sophisticated computer software to nominate SHA locations.
When her mentor at DMF found a position elsewhere, Weaver was
able to step up to the plate. Her work experience primed her for tackling
extensive data sets and also interacting with the various stakeholders
in the SHA nomination process. She had held previous positions
performing geospatial analysis in coastal wetlands during an internship
with the Environmental Defense Fund and in her master’s research.
Buckel has high praise for Weaver’s work. “The fellowship is
designed such that a recent graduate from a master’s or Ph.D. program
can see what it’s like at the front lines, but that’s usually at a distance.
She was actually there.
“Jen really went above and beyond her job description in this
process. She came in and helped DMF out quite a bit more than they
had planned. I was impressed with Jen’s knowledge and her ability to
run the software and manage the large databases. She did a great job in
the fellowship,” he adds.
Most would be overwhelmed by the amount of data accrued by the
DMF in order to analyze the coastal plain.
In fact, the DMF maps designate the six major habitat features
of the Pamlico Sound — and more. In order to determine which areas
contribute to good fisheries, and which areas do not, one needs maps on
positive and negative impacts. The positive aspects already have been
mentioned; they are the six habitat types. But within each of these are
subsets, such as estuarine and marine soft bottom, high-salinity and low-salinity
SAV, and so forth.
Other designations include primary nursery areas, fish abundance
and the occurrence of rare species.
The negative impacts, also called alteration factors, are human
activities that may affect habitat quality or are indicative of reduced
habitat quality, including areas of prohibited shellfish harvest, dredged
channels, industrial waste, military targets, animal operations and more.
“It’s one of the few examples where I’ve seen anything like it at
the state level — where there’s been an effort to characterize habitats
based on the anthropogenic alterations to an area,” Weaver says.
Clockwise from top left: Map of the North Carolina
coastal plain with the four areas delineated by the Strategic
Habitat Area advisory committee. Region 2 SHAs were recently
determined.. • Juvenile blue crab find refuge in SAV. • Jen
Weaver at North Carolina State University’s Center for Marine
Sciences and Technology at Morehead City. • The megalopa,
or blue crab in the second larval stage, migrates into the
estuary and is attracted to eelgrass. • An acre of submerged
aquatic vegetation can support up to 40,000 fish and 50
million invertebrates.
C o n t i n u e d
David Eggleston
Jeff Buckel
NOAA
a caution
16 coastwatch | summer 2012 | www.ncseagrant.org
on dredging near SAV beds. Water
quality has improved in the bay, due
to a 1983 agreement that reduced
allowable phosphorous and nitrogen
input into the bay’s tributaries. These changes should improve water
clarity for the SAV. Efforts also are being made to plant SAV in areas that
once supported large beds but now are completely bare.
North Carolina’s waters have lost SAV since pre-Colonial times, but
the state has not seen die-offs like those in the Chesapeake.
Beginning in 1981, various SAV mapping efforts have been done
in North Carolina. The Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuary Program
led an interagency effort to map SAV along the entire coast using aerial
photography. The survey of the coast was published in 2011 and showed
extensive areas of SAV along the sound side of the Outer Banks. In all,
North Carolina supports more than 138,000 acres of SAV.
In regards to the SHAs, the occurrence of SAV was considered
highly important and as a result, almost all of the areas with significant
SAV also are contained within a SHA. Although designation as a SHA
itself now does not carry with it any regulation, there already are some
regulations in place to protect SAV in North Carolina.
Clockwise from top left: The waters of the Pamlico Sound support a
diversity of life. • Shell bottom filters pollutants, slows erosion and is a prime fishing
spot. • AJ’s Sea Duck and Trophy Swan Hunts takes fishermen into the Pamlico
Sound for red drum. • Kayaks poised for take-off on the Pamlico Sound. • Wetlands
support wildlife and also filter pollutants. • The CHPP covers offshore habitat that
includes hard bottom, where fish congregate.
Sabrina Varnum
Courtesy VisitNC.com
Sharon Settlage
crunching • CRUNCHING NUMBERS
Weaver input data on 24 alteration factors and 35 distinct habitat
types into the site-selection program called MARXAN.
MARXAN, officially known as MARine eXplicit ANnealing, is
used worldwide to determine pristine natural areas. A doctoral student
in Australia designed MARXAN and first applied it to the Great Barrier
Reef of Australia.
In order to input the data into MARXAN, Weaver divided the study
area into hexagon areas of 124 acres each. She then calculated a score
based on the amount of habitat and human alteration for each of the more
than 19,000 hexagons that make up Region 2.
A committee of fisheries specialists met to corroborate the
MARXAN output based on expert knowledge of the region. In the end,
67 discrete areas were nominated as SHAs, representing 10 percent of the
area of Region 2.
Of the nominated SHAs, 11 percent are contained in federally or
state-owned lands, areas already managed for conservation, or protected
as primary nursery areas for fish. These include parts of Alligator River
National Wildlife Refuge (NWR),
Mattamuskeet NWR, Swan Quarter
NWR, Cedar Island NWR and Cape
Hatteras National Seashore.
“It’s really great that North Carolina
is incorporating the link between
habitats and fisheries production in its
management plans,” Weaver says.
• THE CHESAPEAKE BAY:
A CAUTION
The Pamlico Sound is one of the largest estuaries in the United
States, with a higher species diversity than the largest estuary, the
Chesapeake Bay, according to a study published in 2006 in the journal,
Science.
SAV is a factor contributing to the productivity of the Pamlico
Sound and other estuaries, such as the Chesapeake Bay. But, SAV is like
the proverbial canary in a coal mine — it dies off when water becomes
overloaded with nitrogen, phosphorous, pollution or sediment.
Beginning in the 1960s, SAV declined precipitously in the
Chesapeake Bay. As the SAV disappeared, so did the waterfowl that are
dependent upon the plants for food. The year 2007 was the poorest blue
crab harvest on record for the Chesapeake, and the U.S. Secretary of
Commerce declared an economic disaster for bay-area watermen.
Recognizing the importance of SAV, the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency funded biologists to conduct yearly aerial monitoring
of Chesapeake Bay SAV. Because SAV is an indicator of good water
quality, mapping provides a means to evaluate water health. This effort
shows a slight increase in SAV since 1985, but it has not rebounded to
pre-1970s levels.
Guidelines to protect SAV in the Chesapeake include restrictions
do now
coastwatch | summer 2012 | www.ncseagrant.org 17
Sharon Settlage
Adam Jones
Courtesy VisitNC.com
resources
• WHAT TO DO NOW?
The nomination of the SHAs in the Pamlico Sound area leaves
many people in the region wondering what happens next. The N.C.
Marine Fisheries Commission has approved the SHAs, but they do not
become officially designated as a SHA until a regulation is needed. The
commission who oversees the habitat is responsible for the management.
For example, if a regulation is needed for water quality, then the
Environmental Management Commission would be involved.
Anne Deaton, habitiat specialist with DMF, emphasizes that
management measures only will be considered when the entire coastal
plain has been evaluated and “the state will welcome extensive public
stakeholder involvement.
“The intent is habitat protection and enhancement to promote sus-tainable
fishing activity, not restrict it,” Deaton continues. Additionally,
the approved SHAs will be “useful for local government to encourage
land conservation and best management practices adjacent to sensitive
SHAs,” she says.
Deaton summarized that the comments were largely positive at
a public meeting for input on Region 2 SHA nominations held in the
N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources Washington
Regional Office in October 2011. At the meeting, she reported that
“the driving reason for conducting SHA analysis is because scientific
literature indicates that protecting a network of priority habitat areas is an
effective means of enhancing sustainable fisheries.”
The meeting summary notes concern about potential fishing
restrictions, particularly in Hyde County, where a large proportion of
SHAs are sited.
Others stated that “the selection of a large amount of area in Hyde
County was a recognition of the significance and the uniqueness of the
area.” One participant noted that the wetlands are “important for so many
resources,” and that the “SHAs represent aquatic assets that the area
needs to support the fishing and tourism industry.”
A week after the meeting, the Hyde County Board of
Commissioners passed a resolution contesting any regulation that comes
about due to the SHA nominations.
However, the designations of the SHAs are simply a recognition of
valuable fish habitats, such as SAV and the other five habitats types that
work together to support the state’s fisheries, Deaton explains.
Peterson, CHPP committee chair, agrees. “The SHAs are a great
example of where we need to think about working together, so our
strategy is a holistic management effort,” he acknowledges.
Resources
To find out more about the Coastal Habitat Protection Plan, visit
the NCDMF homepage at: www.ncfisheries.net and scroll to the link on
N.C. Coastal Habitat Protection Plan.
To see the North Carolina SAV map, go to the homepage for the
Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuary Program at: www.apnep.org and
follow the Resources link to maps.
electing seafood can be mind boggling. Low in
saturated fats and packed with healthful omega-3s, fish are
definitely good for you. Except when they’re not.
So what’s in your seafood that you might want to
avoid? Some North Carolina scientists sought to answer a
part of that question.
Researchers from North Carolina State University
and Duke University set out to determine mercury levels
in fish commonly caught and consumed in North Carolina,
recognizing that accurate local consumer information about
seafood was lacking.
Testing Local Seafood for Mercury
B Y E - C H I N G L E E
What they found about the fish and shellfish they
sampled is good news to the ears — and stomachs —
of local seafood lovers, fishermen and retailers alike.
In general, the majority of seafood the researchers
tested had low levels of mercury, lower than the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency’s consumption guidelines.
In instances where researchers found samples with
concentrations over EPA’s recommended levels, they were
from fish that were known to be high in mercury.
18 coastwatch | summer 2012 | www.ncseagrant.org
R I G H T : Mahi-mahi is a popular recreational catch.
C o n t i n u e d
coastwatch | summer 2012 | www.ncseagrant.org 19
Brian Efland
20 coastwatch | summer 2012 | www.ncseagrant.org
NC State scientists studied mercury
levels in commercial and recreational offshore
fish, while Duke researchers tested inshore
species for mercury and PCBs. Both projects
were funded by the N.C. Fishery Resource
Grant Program, which is administered by North
Carolina Sea Grant.
“This research focuses on providing
information about locally caught species, which
is as accurate as you can get to make your
own decisions about North Carolina seafood.
Further, the research focuses on mercury and
PCBs, both contaminants often mentioned when
discussing seafood choices,” says Marc Turano,
who oversees FRG projects for Sea Grant.
But the studies also were driven by
another factor: to determine if regional and
national seafood guides were serving local
consumers.
“There is a lot of confusion for those who
attempt to purchase seafood,” Turano adds.
“Most of this confusion surrounds how various
groups determine their recommendations.”
For example, Monterey Bay Aquarium,
Food and Water Watch, and Blue Ocean have
seafood watch lists that advise consumers
what seafood to eat based on their definition
of sustainability and their position on catch
methods, with indicators for species considered
high in mercury. However, these lists are based
on nationwide or regional information. The
researchers wanted to provide specific data on
North Carolina seafood.
“We’re advocating for, whenever possible,
providing consumers with local information
for seafood consumption,” explains Derek
Aday, a faculty member in NC State’s biology
department. However, the final decision about
what to eat is not his to make.
“Our job isn’t to tell people how to act,” he
says about his role as a scientist. Instead, it’s “to
give as much information as we can give so that,
within their own sort of constraints, their own
feelings about risk tolerance, they can make
informed decisions.”
The level of mercury that consumers will
accept varies from person to person. “The
bottom line is that everybody has a different
level of risk tolerance,” Aday observes.
TESTING MARINE FISH
Mercury occurs naturally in the Earth’s
crust but the majority in the environment is from
human actions, such as coal-fired power plants,
mining activities and industrial discharge. It is a
neurotoxin. High doses can damage the brains
and nervous systems of fetuses, babies and
young children.
In aquatic systems, mercury can be
converted into methylmercury, a form that can
be absorbed and stored, or bioaccumulated, by
fish and other sea creatures. There are several
drivers of mercury accumulation in fish, mainly
size of the animal, its trophic level or location in
the food web, and pH of the water where it is
found. The main source of human exposure to
mercury is through seafood.
There are several reasons why mercury
content differs in fish. You are what you eat
applies to fish too. “If you’re at the top of the
food chain and you’re eating a lot of other fish,
then your body’s burden is representative of
the food that you’ve been consuming over the
course of your life,” Aday explains. A fish that is
high in the food web likely eats other fish and
invertebrates, further concentrating mercury in
its body.
Furthermore, size — or length, in this
case — matters. “The bigger you are, the longer
• A B O V E : Mullet are a white or
light-colored fish, with a light
to moderate flavor. • B O T T O M L E F T :
Gray triggerfish have three spines in
their first dorsal fin that can be used as
a defense against predators. • B O T T O M
R I G H T : Juvenile red porgy, such as
the pair pictured, are female but will
change sex to male as they grow.
Vanda Lewis
NCSG file photo
Marc Turano
results reflected the conditions in local waters.
To find out, Freitag divided the state
into north, central and south fishing districts
and collected samples from each region. She
selected inshore species that she could pinpoint
to a particular location and that represented
“a traditional fishing cycle,” allowing her to
conduct her work throughout an entire year.
Freitag, who blogs on science topics as
Bluegrass Blue Crab on Southern Fried Science
(www.southernfriedscience.com), also checked
for PCBs, chemicals that can cause cancer and
other health problems.
The team, led by Duke zoology faculty
member Dan Rittschof, tested hard and soft
crabs, clams, white and pink shrimp, oysters,
spot, and mullet — all small, short-lived and low
trophic-level species — from local sources. The
people who provided samples received a report
on the mercury and PCB content of the seafood
they provided.
“It turns out that we’re much cleaner than
the national recommendations. On an average
of 10 times less mercury,” Freitag says. And
PCB levels were very low too. More than 97
percent of her samples had mercury and PCB
concentrations below EPA and FDA levels of
concern.
“Only a handful of the samples in the study
turned out to be unsafe to eat. And of those,
you’ve been around to accumulate
mercury,” he adds, noting that
there’s often a correlation between
size and age. “Most of the time,
being really big means that you’re
old. But being really big also means
you’ve eaten a lot of food to get to
that size. And so mercury can be a
problem from that standpoint.”
Aday led a team that studied
popular offshore species landed
in North Carolina. They sampled
mahi-mahi, king mackerel and wahoo from
recreational anglers off Dale Britt’s charter
boat, Sensation, that is based in Morehead
City. Additionally, they collected red porgy, red
grouper and gray triggerfish from a Carteret
County fish house, popular fish that were
available at that time.
The researchers tested the samples
for mercury and compared their results to
EPA and U.S. Food and Drug Administration
mercury advisory levels.
The EPA’s mercury action level is no
more than 0.3 milligrams of mercury in each
kilogram of fish or shellfish. The EPA will issue
seafood consumption advisories if mercury
is above that limit. The FDA draws its line at
1 milligram per kilogram. Beyond that, the
FDA can take legal action to remove the
contaminated food from the marketplace.
“Sometimes our fish were much lower
in mercury than what those guidelines would
suggest and sometimes they
were much higher in mercury
than what the guidelines would
suggest,” Aday explains of both
federal limits.
His team found that
porgy, triggerfish and mahi-mahi
were consistently safe
to eat, with mercury levels
well below EPA consumption
recommendations. The wahoo and grouper
they sampled often exceeded EPA’s — but not
FDA’s — levels. The king mackerel they tested
consistently surpassed both EPA and FDA
advisory levels.
DECONSTRUCTING THE ’DIRTY DOZEN‘
The Duke study originated from a question
posed by Mark Hooper, a crabber from Smyrna.
In summer 2009, he noticed that blue crabs and
oysters — two of the state’s largest commercial
fisheries — were on Food and Water Watch’s
so-called dirty dozen list because of mercury
concerns. He wanted to find out if that was true
for North Carolina.
“And we didn’t have a really good answer,”
recalls Amy Freitag, a doctoral candidate in
marine science and conservation at Duke. “It
turns out that most of the studies that had been
done had either been in the Chesapeake or in
the Gulf of Mexico.” She was unsure if those
coastwatch | summer 2012 | www.ncseagrant.org 21
C o n t i n u e d
• A B O V E : Sally Petre
takes a thumb-sized
sample from king
mackerel to test
for mercury. • L E F T :
Duke University
researchers took
samples from
this oyster lease for
their mercury and
PCB study.
Amy Freitag
Courtesy Sally Petre
22 coastwatch | summer 2012 | www.ncseagrant.org
most of them came from known areas of
contamination that are not usually open for
harvest anyway,” she adds. “So in terms of
what’s getting into the market, it seems to be
pretty safe.”
Contamination levels were mostly
location based. Seafood found in developed
areas or near peat bogs, which are a source
of natural mercury, had slightly elevated
levels of mercury. Fish harvested near landfills
or Hewletts Creek, which has experienced
sewage spills, had higher PCB concentrations
in their system.
In light of the results, Freitag explains
that ecological, rather than political,
boundaries are better suited for these
guidelines. “Water body seems to be really
important, not states, not fisheries regions,”
she notes.
Hooper, who has worked on other FRG
projects, was curious about the quality of
seafood from his area. “It was a little bit risky
in that, if we had found contaminants, you’re
really going to have to own up to that,” he
reflects.
“But in my opinion, the seafood was
either gorgeous, like I know it is, or it’s
contaminated,” he continues. “And if it’s
contaminated, then we’ve got some issues
that we need to deal with. If the crabs in Core
Sound have PCBs and mercury, then we’ve
got a larger problem that we need to start
to address. So I didn’t mind taking that kind of
chance, from my point of view, and putting the
stuff out there.”
RULES TO EAT BY
Hooper is an avid seafood fan, making
it a point to eat it regularly. His record is 60
consecutive days. And he’s not above using
himself and wife Penny, who is a biology
instructor at Carteret Community College in
Morehead City, as test subjects. He’s had their
hair checked for mercury. The results show that
they have very low levels in their system.
“I think my point stands that this
water here, the water quality is spectacular,
especially on Core Sound. We’re bounded by
a national seashore. There’s only 10 of these in
the nation,” he marvels, citing Cape Lookout
National Seashore.
But what about the rest of us who don’t
have access to fish fresh off the boat?
In addition to EPA and FDA fish
consumption guidelines, Aday has a couple of
rules of thumb for the consumer who wants to
select a fish with lower mercury content. First,
stay away from fish that are longer lived or
at the top of the food chain. Second, within a
species, pick the smaller specimens.
Freitag notes that her results say that
inshore fish, which tend to be lower in mercury
than their offshore cousins, are a safer bet.
Many local fishermen would agree.
“Most fish we use are smaller,
inshore fish,” says Eddie Willis, who
is part of the Core Sound Seafood
cooperative where a group of fishermen
combine their catch to provide
shareholders with a weekly supply of
locally caught seafood. And even when
it offers offshore fish, the co-op selects
smaller specimens.
Freitag says her study also
highlights the need for consumers to
understand the nuances of food. “I’m
looking at it as more of a support for
traceability of food and understanding where it
comes from and the risks associated with that
particular place,” she notes.
PUTTING IT ON THE PLATE
At a time when anyone with a smartphone
can download an app to find out what seafood
to eat according to national seafood guides,
local information is lacking. And often, national
or regional guides paint with a broad brush,
using data from a handful of samples and
extrapolating that information to a larger area
when water quality can vary greatly between
neighboring water bodies. Nor do they list all the
seafood a consumer can find in North Carolina.
• A B O V E : Eddie
Willis offers species
such as clams,
crab and mullet
at his fish house.
• R I G H T : Oysters
can be prepared
many ways —
including, baked,
roasted or steamed.
Vanda Lewis Sarah K. Amspacher
coastwatch | summer 2012 | www.ncseagrant.org 23
“These national averages and these
regional guidelines do have a purpose, and
they are relatively informative. But when
it comes to local consumption advisories,
particularly for mercury, local information is
really important in determining consumer risk,”
comments Dana Sackett, then a post-doctoral
researcher at NC State and part of Aday’s
team.
Aday agrees. “The take-home message
is that whenever we can provide local
information to consumers, that will be more
reliable than regional and national guidelines
that are currently most available.”
Local contaminant levels might not
always match those stated in regional and
national guidelines. For example, one guide
says that blue crabs may contain unhealthy
levels of mercury and PCBs but that’s not
what the Duke study found for crabs in North
Carolina.
Certainly, navigating seafood consumption
guidelines can ruin anyone’s appetite. And there
are some who have sworn off seafood because
of the confusion around making selections.
However, Aday encourages consumers to
persevere.
“A lot of studies suggest that the benefits
of fish consumption outweigh the risks, so
unless you’re eating multiple meals per day for
a long period of time — if you’re not a nursing
mother and you’re not a young child, and
unless they’re talking about the really, really
high-mercury species like shark and tilefish and
king mackerel — then probably regular fish
consumption is a good thing,” Aday notes.
And Sea Grant’s Turano is helping get the
word out by condensing the data from these
projects into a brochure. “The pamphlet is a
consumers’ digest version of the study results,
providing summary data from the study on
mercury in locally harvested fish. We are trying
to arm the seafood consumer with the most up-to-
date information to make the best decisions
about buying seafood,” he says. “In the end,
North Carolina’s seafood is safe to eat.”
Hooper, however, does not need
convincing.
“In my opinion, this is the finest food on
earth. To be able to have access to locally
caught, fresh seafood from these waters
is spectacular. And with that comes the
responsibility on my part to make sure that I
handle it as best as I possibly can,” he muses.
“And just hope that you people enjoy it and just
have a good night when you eat it. Kinda think of
us a little bit.”
RESOURCES
The N.C. Division of Water Quality is in
the process of developing a statewide total
maximum daily load, or TMDL, for mercury.
Officials will estimate the proportions of
mercury contributions to water and fish
from different sources and determine the
appropriate reductions needed. Public
comments to the TMDL were to be accepted
until June 11. The DWQ monitors the state’s
surface water and groundwater. For more on
the TMDL, visit: portal.ncdenr.org/web/wq/
and search for “mercury TMDL.”
• To view the final Fishery Resource
Grant reports, go to: www.ncseagrant.org and
search for 10-ST-02 for the NC State project,
and for 10-EP-07 for the Duke study.
• Download Turano’s Blueprint at: www.
ncseagrant.org/s/mercury.
• For EPA and FDA recommendations
about mercury in seafood, go to: www.epa.
gov/waterscience/fish/advice.
• A B O V E : Blue crabs are one
of the top fisheries in North
Carolina. • B o t t o m L e f t :
Pink shrimp await buyers
at a fish market. • B o t t o m
R i g h t : Atlantic wahoo can
grow up to 8 feet and weigh
more than 150 pounds, with
a life span of 5 or 6 years.
Ray Midgett
Vanda Lewis
Marc Turano
SONG ACROSS
THE WATER
N A T U R A L I S T ’ S N O T E B O O K
PAT MOORE HAS BEEN BIRDING FOR MORE
THAN 50 YEARS — AND AT 84 YEARS OLD SHE IS STILL
ACTIVE IN BIRDING ACTIVITIES ON THE OUTER BANKS.
“I remember searching for birds before we had the technology that
allowed the playing of bird calls while in the field,” she recalls. “I learned
their songs by listening to them until I could remember each one. Then I
would go home, put a record on my turntable, and match the songs to
my memory of them. I can still identify most of them by memory. Much of
my pleasure birding in the field comes from hearing and recognizing songs
while envisioning the singers.”
The North Carolina coast is widely known for dozens of species of
gulls, waterbirds and shorebirds. However, many who visit the region miss
the chance to see — and hear — some of our state’s most hidden treasures:
songbirds of the coast.
Whether deep within maritime forests or in undergrowth and trees
a few miles inland or even on the Outer Banks, these songbirds are worth
going a little out of the way to find.
• PAINTED BUNTING
Seeing a painted bunting for the first time is an experience few birders
forget. John Carpenter, coastal landbird biologist for the N.C. Wildlife
Resources Commission, says that its brilliant plumage “makes it the kind
of bird you’d expect to see in a tropical rainforest, and yet it can be seen
throughout the coastal region of North
Carolina, down to Florida, as well as
across the Gulf Coast.”
Though the painted bunting is
known more for its stunning feathering,
its song is almost as beautiful. It has
a bright, pleasant sound, similar to a
warbler’s call, with a sharp chip note at
the end.
The male painted bunting has a
vibrant indigo streak along the top of
its head, with a bright red underbelly
and patches of lime green and yellow along its back. Females (and juvenile
males), though significantly less colored, still sport a bright green back with
a pale yellow underbelly.
Painted buntings are a monogamous species. They nest in low
vegetation, such as shrubs, and generally lay three to four light gray eggs,
speckled with brown. The female incubates the eggs for about 11 to 13
days. The young birds are usually ready to leave the nest at around two
weeks old.
The best time of year to see these birds along the coast is in the
summer. They can be found in open brushlands, hedges, yards and thickets.
Painted buntings are ground foragers, so look for them in low-level areas.
24 coastwatch | summer 2012 | www.ncseagrant.org
A Song Across
the Water
B Y M E G A N S H A R P
ABOVE: Male painted buntings are
some of the most brilliantly colored
birds in North America. BELOW
RIGHT: The female painted
bunting and juveniles are green.
Jeff Lewis
Jeff Lewis
N A T U R A L I S T ’ S N O T E B O O K
coastwatch | summer 2012 | www.ncseagrant.org 25
• BOAT-TAILED GRACKLE
People have always had mixed feelings about grackles. Their pervasive
and seemingly destructive habits, along with their large stature and loud,
piercing song — a serious of sharp, guttural thrills of chek notes and whistles
— have all combined to make them less than popular.
“Their tails imitate the stern of a boat, large and fanned out behind
them,” says Jeff Lewis, garden
and greenhouse manager for the
Elizabethan Gardens in Manteo.
“It’s hard to believe that they
can actually fly with such odd
proportions. Between that and
their obnoxious song, you can’t
miss them.”
However, most birders
would say that these birds
are simply misunderstood.
In her book, titled 100 Birds
and How They Got Their Names,
Diana Wells says that, Swedish
immigrants who sought to farm
in America’s heartland were
constantly doing battle with
ABOVE: A female boat-tailed grackle is
lighter in color, with a brown head.
RIGHT: Two male boat-tailed grackles
display their iridescent coloring in the sun.
these “corn thieves.” Grackles flooded their farms in numbers that made
it impossible to see the ground where they were feeding. The farmers soon
realized, however, that the grackles were eating the worms and grubs that
did far more damage than the birds ever did. The corn lost was eventually
considered to be their “tithe” to the birds.
Grackles often nest in reeds or small shrubs that are over the water.
The coastal waters of North Carolina are prime habitats for them. They lay
one to five eggs that are generally light blue with brown and black scrawls.
Fledglings that fall out of the nest and into the water can swim well for
short distances, using their wings as paddles.
Though the males appear to have a plain black coloring, the boat-tailed
grackle actually possesses an iridescent quality to their feathering.
When seen up close in the sunlight, their color changes from shimmering
blues and purples to greens and bronze. This remarkable sight was enough
to make John Audubon write that “no painter, however gifted, could ever
imitate them.”
• SEASIDE SPARROW
As the name implies, the seaside sparrow is “found only on the
Atlantic and Gulf coasts,” Lewis says. “This makes North Carolina’s coast
a prime place to see them.” It is a stocky songbird, with a short tail and
large bill. Its song matches its size — short and muffled with a piercing buzz
at the end. C o n t i n u e d
Jeff Lewis
Walker Golder
26 coastwatch | summer 2012 | www.ncseagrant.org
The seaside
sparrow, like most
sparrows, is rather
drab, with olive-gray
feathering,
black whisker
marks and a white
throat. However,
near both of its
eyes, the seaside
sparrow has
bright streaks of
vibrant yellow. In
her book, Wells
indicates that its French name, moineau, means “a monk,” given for its dull,
cowl-like feathering.
The English name “sparrow” comes from the Old English word
spearw, which translates to “a flutterer,” and accurately describes its quick,
haphazard movements. The bird is built for speed and endurance, because
it generally nests a good distance away from its food source.
Seaside sparrows usually lay two to five eggs per clutch and tend to
nest in shrubs. The eggs are bluish white with blotches of brown, which are
generally more concentrated at the larger end.
They can best be seen on the coast of North Carolina in the summer
months. Look in tidal reeds, rushes and salt marshes, especially those with
spartina grass.
• THE NORTH CAROLINA BIRDING TRAIL
Organizers of the North Carolina Birding Trail describe it as the
greatest asset to birders in the state. This trail links 310 birding sites from
the coast to the mountains. The sites range from national parks and bird
sanctuaries to private residences. The requirements? They have to have lots
and lots of birds.
Lena Gallitano, former president of Wake Audubon Society, was a
leader among the team who introduced the birding trail to North Carolina.
“It’s the only trail in North Carolina that connects the entire state and is
available for the public to go out into nature,” she says. “It’s a wonderful
addition to our state.”
The North Carolina Birding Trail has three guidebooks to help
direct birders along the trails. Each book — one each for the mountains,
piedmont and coast — gives detailed information about each site, as well as
what birds can be seen.
The birding trail not only provides valuable resources for birders and
conservationists, but also helps support economic development. Local
restaurants and shops located around various sites have teamed up with
the birding trail to offer services to visiting birders. Visitors are encouraged
to leave “birder calling cards,” which are printed in the back of each
guidebook, to let business know that they were referred there by the birding
trail resources.
“It is providing a service to birders, helping local economies and
promoting wildlife habitat conservation,” says Jack Thigpen, North Carolina
Sea Grant extension director. He was part of the group that helped create
the birding trail.
N A T U R A L I S T ’ S N O T E B O O K
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND LINKS
• Audubon North Carolina, nc.audubon.org: This website gives
extensive information on local birding events, conservation and how
to join your local chapter.
• The Cape Fear Audubon Society, www.capefearaudubon.org:
This site has information on birds, environmental education and
birding events along the southern coast.
• Painted Bunting Observer Team, paintedbuntings.org:
Developed by a group of University of North Carolina Wilmington
researchers and citizen scientists dedicated to preserving this amazing
bird, this site provides a detailed overview about the status of the
painted bunting in North Carolina.
• The North Carolina Birding Trail, ncbirdingtrail.org: Gather
information about various sites along the birding trail and the
specific birds that can be seen in North Carolina. Trail guides can
be ordered from UNC Press at: uncpress.unc.edu or from your local
bookstore.
• The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, www.allaboutbirds.org: This site
acts as a virtual, interactive encyclopedia on birds. Search hundreds
of different species of birds, listen to each of their sounds, stream
live video of young hawks as they hatch, and flip through stunning
photos of falcons in flight.
BEGINNER’S WARM WEATHER BIRDING KIT
According to Jack Thigpen, North Carolina Sea Grant’s
executive director and a birding hobbyist, the best way to get started
in birding is to go with a group or someone who is experienced.
“I always learn a lot about identifying by sight and sound
from people who know more,” Thigpen advises. “I also recommend
searching online for your locality with the word ‘birding.’ You might
be surprised how many local resources are available.”
A basic kit would include a good pair of binoculars, a birding
field guide, a camera and notepad. Also, don’t forget sunscreen and
insect repellent, as well as a hat. And finally, wear comfortable all-terrain
boots and long pants.
• CONSERVATION IS KEY
Currituck County’s name reflects its avian tradition — it was derived
from the Native American word “coratank,” meaning “wild geese.” There
was a time when locals claimed to see so many wild birds in flight that they
blackened the sky with their wings.
Today, Currituck is still full of little treasures for birders,
conservationists and tourists alike. Efforts include the Donal C. O’Brien, Jr.
Audubon Sanctuary and Center of Pine Island in Corolla. Though still in
its early stages, this 3,000-acre sanctuary eventually will be equipped with
a large center where visitors can learn about the island, marsh, Currituck
Sound and the birds that inhabit it.
Walker Golder, the deputy state director for Audubon North
Carolina, says that this endeavor “will be a place where we will engage the
community and conduct scientific research, which will hopefully result in
improved protection efforts for the Currituck area.”
ABOVE: The seaside sparrow has dull coloring,
except for the streaks of yellow around its eyes.
Jeff Lewis
coastwatch | summer 2012 | www.ncseagrant.org 27
FUEL SAVINGS
C U R R E N T S
AS MARINA FUEL PRICES
CONTINUE TO RISE, RECREATIONAL
AND COMMERCIAL BOATERS ARE —
BY NECESSITY — SEEKING WAYS TO
DECREASE OPERATING COSTS AND
INCREASE FUEL EFFICIENCY.
Compared to automobiles, boats are not
efficient. For example, a small 18-to-21-foot
outboard vessel with a fuel tank capacity ranging
from 20 to 50 gallons averages 4 to 8 miles per
gallon. A twin-engine offshore vessel with a fuel
tank capacity ranging from 80 to 200 gallons
may average only 1 to 3 mpg. In either case, a
boater may suffer sticker shock at the pump this
season with fuel prices potentially exceeding $4
per gallon at marinas in North Carolina.
The following fuel saving tips should help
boaters save money on their next boating trip —
whether it is an offshore fishing excursion or an
inshore cruise:
• Find the optimum cruising speed: Every
boat has a cruising speed at which a certain
engine power and vessel trim, or the angle of the
boat in relationship to the surface of the water,
will result in maximum efficiency. A GPS unit
linked to a fuel flow meter can calculate fuel
economy automatically. This enables a boater
to adjust power and trim settings based on sea
conditions.
• Maintain the vessel: A properly
maintained engine produces power more
efficiently. Follow manufacturer-recommended
maintenance schedules for fuel filters, water
separators, oil changes, valve adjustments, etc.
Be certain the propeller is the correct one for
the vessel. Propeller diameter, pitch and the
number of blades all can affect fuel efficiency.
This information is available on engine or vessel
manufacturers’ websites.
• Reduce weight: One of the easiest ways to
increase efficiency is to leave nonessential items
at the dock. It takes 2.5 extra horsepower to
plane each additional 100 pounds, and an extra
gallon per hour of gasoline is burned for each
additional 400 pounds in passengers, fuel and
gear. However, no fuel savings is worth omitting
safety equipment. Check Coastwatch Spring 2012
for an article on boating safety.
• Clean vessel bottom: Marine fouling,
such as barnacles and slime, will induce
unnecessary drag on a vessel and decrease fuel
efficiency rapidly. If the vessel is moored in a wet
slip, use the proper bottom paint for the hull
composition and marine environment. Check
with a marine supply provider, or do online
research, regarding eco-friendly bottom paints to
decrease impacts on the marine environment.
• Use good seamanship: Take advantage of
favorable sea conditions such as a following wind
or tide to decrease engine load. Steer a straight
course for the shortest path to your destination.
Use autopilot if available to minimize oversteer.
• Search for best marina gas prices:
Marina fuel prices can vary considerably, so check
fuel prices via VHF radio or cell phone before you
fill up.
• Use green recreational fishing methods:
For inshore waters, use alternate methods to
reach the fishing grounds, such as paddle fishing
from a kayak, paddleboard or canoe. These
methods are good for your health while providing
a quiet, shallow fishing platform that enables you
to reach remote backwater areas. To download
Paddle Fishing: An Introductory Guide, visit: www.
ncseagrant.org and search for “paddle fishing.”
Read about paddle fishing in the Holiday 2008
issue of Coastwatch.
For more fuel-efficiency tips, visit: seagrant.uaf.
edu/fuel. Order a copy of Buying a Recreational
Fishing Boat from: www.ncseagrant.org.
Cruising to Fuel Savings
Paddling may not be the quickest way to get from here to there, but it saves on fuel costs.
B Y B R I A N E F L A N D
Nate Bacheler
Brian Efland
Nate Bacheler
Brian Efland
Currituck
County
Goes
Green
B y S h a r o n S e t t l a g e R
Currituck Goes 28 coastwatch | summer 2012 | www.ncseagrant.org
P E O P L E A N D P L A C E S
educe water runoff, slow it down, and soak
it up with plants. This was a central theme in the
Currituck Sound Water Quality Fair held in April
at the Currituck Rural Center in Powells Point.
Barbara Doll, water quality specialist with
North Carolina Sea Grant and chairperson of
the event, is pleased with the interest generated.
“Currituck County has worked hard, along with
support from Sea Grant and other organizations,
to launch an effort to protect its natural
resources and reduce waste and energy use. The
fair provided an opportunity to celebrate the
achievements made so far, as well as the county’s
vast and vital natural resources,” she says.
Sea Grant cosponsored the one-day
event, along with Currituck County Cooperative
Extension, the N.C. Coastal Federation and the
University of North Carolina Coastal Studies
Institute.
Some visitors enjoyed the fair while
paddling the waters of the Currituck Sound
in brightly colored kayaks. Others talked with
extension agents and representatives from
various organizations who touted the benefits of
delivering clean water to the sound.
Plants, and their abilities to filter water
runoff from impervious surfaces, were a big draw.
Visitors were given water-loving plants, such as
mallow or sedge, to plant alongside a pond.
The plants provide beautification and filtration
benefits, while attracting and supporting wildlife.
Plants also were the star feature in a rain
garden demonstration. Workers and volunteers
installed muhly grass, blueflag irises, and other
perennials and shrubs in a garden adjacent to an
asphalt parking lot. The slightly concave garden
will absorb and filter water runoff before it enters
the sound.
A representative from the North Carolina
Aquarium on Roanoke Island displayed native
wetland species including ferns and asters. A
raffle winner went home with a healthy Virginia
sweetspire donated by the aquarium.
Children got their hands wet at a Division
of Water Quality demonstration. Representatives
had constructed miniature wetlands to show
how water is better filtered by a rocky shoreline
Graphic based on a
photo by Cameron Lowe
Sharon Settlage
Sharon Settlage
Sharon Settlage
Sharon Settlage
Sharon Settlage
Sharon Settlage
LEFT TO RIGHT: Fairgoers speak with Anne Deaton about strategic habitat areas.
• Paddlers practice. • Eco-friendly cleaning products keep pollution out of Currituck
Sound. • A Division of Water Quality representative displays wetland models. •
Wayne Twiford Sr. speaks to the audience. • Barbara Doll plants a tree in a rain
garden. • A fountain aerates the pond at the Currituck County Cooperative Extension
Center. • A freshwater turtle suns itself. • Coreopsis in bloom at the pond’s edge.
Green
coastwatch | summer 2012 | www.ncseagrant.org 29
P E O P L E A N D P L A C E S
combined with grasses instead of a bulkhead built
at the edge of a body of water. They also showed
how water pollution can find its way to the sound.
Capturing rainwater from your roof never
looked so easy. Mitch Woodward of N.C.
Cooperative Extension exhibited not only the
standard rain barrel, which holds about 50
gallons of rainwater, but also 200-gallon barrels
and larger cisterns that easily can be equipped
with a pump for washing cars. He explained how
cisterns can fill quickly from a 2-inch rain event,
even on a relatively small roof.
Guests were treated to the memories
of Currituck Sound by Wayne Twiford Sr., a
74-years-young Currituck native. Twiford told of
days of duck hunting in the marshes along the
sound.
“We could run up the creeks in a motorboat,
the grass beds were thick… Now you can’t get up
the creeks they have eroded so badly,” he said.
“The grass beds aren’t here anymore, they were
food for huge rafts of coots, which were a staple
for local people. Bass fishing was extremely good,”
he added, noting that “this was the bass fishing
capital of the country.” Finally, he recounted
peaceful nights listening to geese and swans.
Cameron Lowe, Currituck County extension
director, informed attendees of how the county
is now a leader in environmental stewardship.
She spoke of a process that started in 2008
with a survey of residents. Respondents listed
the environment as the primary concern for the
county. Thus, the Currituck County Goes Green
initiative started.
Currituck County leaders partnered with
the county’s Cooperative Extension and Gloria
Putnum, Sea Grant coastal resources and
communities specialist, to help adopt a program
that included sustainability projects and policies.
They enlisted Doll’s expertise in wetland
restoration, and constructed a wetland and wildlife
garden at the Currituck County Cooperative
Extension Center. See Coastwatch Holiday 2010 for
more information.
The pond is now home to turtles, egrets,
and wetland plants that were just awakening from
winter when Sea Grant specialists and county
extension agents checked on the pond in April.
Numerous Coreopsis flowers were beginning the
process of budding, promising a glorious yellow
display into the summer.
Back at the Rural Center, fairgoers signed
the Currituck County Going Green Pledge for
Clean Water. Registrants agreed to use minimal
fertilizer and rain barrels, and to add native plants
alongside streams and shorelines, among other
environmentally friendly activities.
Sharon Settlage
Sharon Settlage
Cameron Lowe
Sun, Moon
and Raven
30 coastwatch | summer 2012 | www.ncseagrant.org
S E A S C I E N C E
THE TLINGIT PEOPLE FROM THE PACIFIC
NORTHWEST EXPLAINED THE TIDES IN A STORY.
The old woman who controlled the water level lived at the edge of the Big
Water. She held the tide line tightly across her lap, not letting the Big Water move
in and out. Raven, the trickster, and his people enjoyed eating all the good things
that washed up on the shore of the Big Water. As the population grew, there was
not enough food on the shore to feed everyone.
The people sent Raven to trick the old woman into letting go of that line so
the water would fall and the people could eat the good things beneath the water.
Raven kicked sand into the old woman’s eyes, causing her to drop the tide line.
The water fell and the people ate lots of food. But because the water stayed
out so long, many creatures from the Big Water began to die. Once again, the
people didn’t have enough food, and Raven was sent to remedy the situation.
He offered to help the old woman clean the sand out of her eyes if she would
let go of the tide line from time to time so the people could eat the water creatures.
That compromise worked, and that’s how the tides began.
What a lovely, visual explanation.
Today, we know that the cyclical ebb and flow of the ocean is caused
not by an old woman holding the tide line, but rather by a complex
combination of influences. They are:
• Astronomical, having to do with the moon and sun;
• Meteorological, dealing with weather and atmospheric conditions;
• Oceanographic, depending on bathymetry/topography or shape of
the ocean bottom;
• Geographic, having to do with location on the Earth; and
• Hydraulic, dealing with the movement of water.
ASTRONOMICAL INFLUENCES
The major players in this tide equation are the gravitational pulls of the
moon and the sun, along with the rotation of the Earth. Although the sun is
27 times larger than the moon, it also is farther away from Earth. The sun is
93 million miles from the Earth, while the moon is only 250,000 miles away.
Because of its proximity, the moon has more influence on our tides.
The simplest explanation of the tides involves imagining the Earth
covered by water, with no continents. When the gravitation of the moon
pulls on the ocean water, it causes a bulge in the ocean surface facing the
moon. See the illustration on the next page. There is an equal bulge on the
side opposite the moon due to centrifugal force and inertia, causing elliptical
tidal bulges. These bulges are the high tides. Now, think of a single point on
Earth, such as near Cape Hatteras. As the Earth rotates, this location moves
through two bulges — and experiences two high tides — in a 24-hour period.
For example, on Tuesday, May 15, 2012, a high tide at Cape Hatteras
occurred at about 4:03 a.m. Low tide happened at 10:17 a.m. The next
high tide was at 4:45 p.m., followed by another low tide at 11:02 p.m. It
takes about 12.5 hours from one high tide to the next high tide, and a little
more than six hours between high and low tide. Check any tide table for
Rolling with the Tide:
Sun, Moon and Raven
B Y T E R R I K I R B Y H A T H A W A Y
Courtesy VisitNC.com
Courtesy VisitNC.com
coastwatch | summer 2012 | www.ncseagrant.org 31
S E A S C I E N C E
C o n t i n u e d
North Carolina and you will notice similar
intervals.
This is because as the Earth rotates on
its axis while the moon revolves around the
Earth in the same direction, the bulges shift
to stay aligned with the moon’s movement.
A full rotation of the Earth takes 24 hours
— a solar day.
But because the moon is orbiting
while the Earth spins, it takes a little longer
than one solar day for the same point on
the Earth to rotate and catch up with the
moon-caused tidal bulge. Thus, a lunar
day, or the time between moonrises, is 24
hours and 50 minutes. This time difference
between solar and lunar days explains why
tides don’t occur at the same time in the
same location every day.
High and low tide heights vary during
each month. Spring tides, or the highest
highs and the lowest lows, occur during a
new moon or a full moon, when the tidal
bulges of the moon and sun are lined up
(yes, the sun causes bulges too). In spite of their name, spring tides happen
in all seasons.
Neap tides, which are the lowest highs and the highest lows, happen
during the quarter moons, when the moon
and sun are pulling their bulges at right
angles to each other.
A lunar month is 29.5 days. That’s the
amount of time it takes for the moon to go
through its four phases — new, first quarter,
full and last quarter — and return to the new
moon. Thus, spring and neap tides occur
approximately every two weeks.
TIDAL VARIATIONS
There are three types of tidal patterns,
as shown in the graphic on the next page.
The difference is caused by a combination
of ocean basin shape, size and depth, in
addition to the adjacent landmasses.
The most common pattern is semi-diurnal,
with two high tides and two low
tides, roughly equal in height, in a 24-hour
period. Most of the coasts on both sides of
the Atlantic exhibit semidiurnal tides, as well
as Greenland and northern Europe.
One high and one low tide daily is
known as a diurnal tide pattern. Parts of the Gulf of Mexico have diurnal
tides, along with southwest Australia and parts of Antarctica.
ABOVE: Position of sun, moon and Earth during spring tides (top) and neap
tides (bottom). LEFT: Although the sun is 93 million miles away, it plays a
role in our tidal changes. BELOW, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: The
wrack line, debris left behind by high tide, is a great place for beachcombing. •
Low tide usually leaves a nice flat beach on which to play. • People, as well as
shores birds, coquina clams, and mole crabs, make use of the intertidal zone.
• Tides are waves of water that rotate around the ocean basins.
Courtesy VisitNC.com Courtesy VisitNC.com
Courtesy VisitNC.com
Lisa Gardiner/Windows to the Universe
Mixed tides exhibit both semidiurnal and diurnal
characteristics. Usually semidiurnal in frequency and
unequal in height, mixed tides can exhibit a diurnal
frequency at times. This tidal pattern is demonstrated
along most of the Pacific Coast in the U.S. and in Asia, the
Caribbean, and parts of the Indian Ocean.
The tidal range is the difference in height between high
and low tides. In North Carolina, the range averages 3 feet.
Compare that to the tidal range in Georgia, which is about
8 feet.
The large difference in tidal range between North
Carolina and Georgia is due to the location of the two
states in the South Atlantic Bight, a region that lies between
Cape Hatteras and Cape Canaveral. It is shaped like an
inverted V, with Georgia at the high point and Florida and
North Carolina at the deeper ends. As the Earth rotates into
the high tide bulge, the shallow continental shelf around
Georgia causes the water to pile up faster and higher. A tidal
range of 2 to 4 feet is typical for Florida and North Carolina.
In Nova Scotia’s Bay of Fundy, the tidal range is
about 40 feet. If it’s difficult to imagine that amount of
water rising and falling within a few hours, search for “Bay
of Fundy tides” on YouTube and enjoy some fascinating
videos. In some places, the tides move so much water that
large waves, known as bores, are created. Also search on
YouTube to watch people surf the powerful “Pororoca” or
“Roar of the Amazon.”
VALUE OF TIDES
Why are tides important? A plethora of people and industries depend on tide predictions,
including the shipping community, the military, cruise ships, ferry systems, and commercial and
recreational fishermen, as well as engineers who design bridges and docks. Of course, surfers
and recreational boaters watch tides too. Even educators base their field-trip schedules on tide
predictions.
In addition, many marine and estuarine animals, such as horseshoe crabs, mole crabs,
grunions and sea turtles, also rely on tidal cycles — and they don’t use man-made tide tables. Their
adaptation to lunar rhythms and tidal cycles is the subject of continuing research.
Always remember the difference between a tsunami and a tidal wave.
A tsunami is a large destructive wall of water that is created by volcanic eruptions, earthquakes
or landslides that occur beneath the ocean. It has nothing to do with the tides.
The tides are waves of water that rotate around the ocean basins that are created by the
gravitational pull of the moon and sun.
As a final note: Why did the eel cross the road? To get to the other tide!
S E A S C I E N C E
32 coastwatch | summer 2012 | www.ncseagrant.org
ADDITIONAL
RESOURCES
Check out these publications and
websites for more information on tides.
READ
• Koppel, Tom. 2007. Ebb and Flow:
Tides and Life on Our Once and Future Planet.
Tonawanda, N.Y.: Dundurn Press. ISBN 978-
1-55002-726-6.
• McCully James Greig. 2006. Beyond
the Moon: A Conversational, Common Sense Guide
to Understanding the Tides. Hackensack, N.J.:
World Scientific Publishing Company. ISBN
981-256-644-9.
• “Tides,” Chapter 9 in Thurman,
Harold V. and Alan P. Trujillo. 2002. Essentials
of Oceanography, 7th edition. Upper Saddle
River, N.J.: Prentice Hall. ISBN 0-13-065235-
0.
• “Tides,” Chapter 12 in Segar, Douglas
A. 2007. Introduction to Ocean Sciences, 2nd
edition. New York: WW Norton & Company.
ISBN 978-0-393-92629-3.
• “Tides of the Ocean,” Chapter 11
in Davis, Richard A., Jr. and Duncan M.
Fitzgerald. 2004. Beaches and Coasts. Malden,
Mass.: Blackwell Publishing. ISBN 0-632-
04308-3.
• “Tides,” Chapter II, Section G,
pages 26–29 in Keener-Chavis, Paula and
Leslie Reynolds Sautter. 2000. Of Sand and
Sea: Teachings from the Southeastern Shoreline.
Charleston, S.C.: South Carolina Sea Grant
Consortium. Available from: www.scseagrant.
org/pdf_files/of_sand_sea.pdf.
VISIT
• Tides and Water Levels tutorial on
NOAA’s National Ocean Service website,
oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/tutorial_tides/
welcome.htm.
• Ocean in Motion: Tides —
Characteristics on the Office of Naval
Research website, www.onr.navy.mil/focus/
ocean/motion/tides1.htm.
ABOVE LEFT and RIGHT: Low and high tide in the Bay of Fundy. FAR RIGHT: Low tide exposes oyster shells and mudflats
in a North Carolina salt marsh. BELOW RIGHT: Illustrations of diurnal, semidiurnal and mixed tidal patterns. North Carolina
exhibits semidiurnal tides.
Courtesy NOAA National Ocean Service
Spencer Rogers
Shireen Nadir
Shireen Nadir
HEALTHY
CHOICES
M A R I N E R ’ S M E N U
CONSIDER PREPARING THESE
HEALTHY AND DELICIOUS MEALS
THIS SUMMER USING TRIGGERFISH,
CRAB AND MAHI-MAHI. Joyce Taylor’s
recipes from Mariner’s Menu: 30 Years of Fresh
Seafood Ideas include fun and inventive ways to
serve these healthy fish for your friends and family.
On page xx, read how researchers funded
by the N.C. Fishery Resource Grant program,
administered by North Carolina Sea Grant,
found that these three options have low levels of
mercury.
Remember, availability of particular species
will vary based on regulations, season and even
changing weather. Thus, if the named fish or
shellfish is not in your market, ask for another
local one that would be similar in texture and
flavor ­­—
make it your own “catch of the day”!
For more information on what fishermen
are catching now, go to: www.ncseagrant.org/seafood
or check the Mariner’s Menu blog at: marinersmenu.
org. The Mariner’s Menu seafood resource book
is available in bookstores. To order a copy from
North Carolina Sea Grant, call 919/515-9101.
CRAB-STUFFED CHERRY TOMATOES
• 1 cup backfin crabmeat
• 1 pound cherry tomatoes
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped green onion,
including tops
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
• fresh parsley sprigs
Remove any shell or cartilage from
crabmeat.
Wash, dry and hollow tomatoes. Invert
and drain on paper towels. In medium bowl,
mix mayonnaise, onion and lemon juice. Add
salt, pepper and Tabasco and stir. Gently fold
in crabmeat. Stuff tomatoes. Chill thoroughly.
Garnish serving dish with parsley sprigs. Makes
25 to 30 appetizers.
SAUTÉED MAHI-MAHI WITH
LEMON-BUTTER SAUCE
• 2 pounds mahi-mahi fillets,
cut into serving-size pieces
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
• 1 cup milk
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3 tablespoons margarine or butter
Trim all dark meat from fish. Rinse fish
thoroughly and gently pat dry with paper towels.
Mix flour, salt and pepper in large shallow
dish. Pour milk into another. Dip fillets in milk,
drain, then dip in flour mixture.
In large skillet, heat oil. Add 3 tablespoons
butter and heat. Sauté fillets until golden on one
side, about 6 to 8 minutes, longer if pieces are
thicker. Turn and repeat on other side. Drain on
paper towels. Serves 6 to 8.
Lemon-Butter Sauce
• 2 tablespoons margarine or butter
• 1/4 tablespoon freshly ground white pepper
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Melt margarine in small pan. Add pepper
and lemon juice and heat. Pour over fillets.
BREADED TRIGGERFISH
• 2 pounds triggerfish, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 2 eggs
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
• 1 cup flour
• 1 1/2 cups fresh bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup margarine or butter
Beat eggs with water, salt and pepper.
Dredge fish thoroughly in flour. Dip into egg
mixture and let excess drain off. Coat with bread
crumbs.
Heat oil in large skillet. Add butter and
heat to 375 F. Cook fish until golden brown on
one side, about 5 to 6 minutes. Turn and repeat
on other side. Drain on paper towels. Serves 6
to 8. 	 	 — C.P.
Healthy Seafood Choices
PHOTO CREDIT?????????
coastwatch | summer 2012 | www.ncseagrant.org 33
RIP CURRENTS
  Don’t fight the current
No luche contra la corriente
  Swim even with the shore, until current
weakens, then swim to shore
Nada al nivel de la orilla hasta que la resaca se debilite
  If you can’t escape, float or tread water
Si no logra escapar, mantengase a flote pedaleando
  If you need help, call or wave for assistance
Si necesita auxilio, grite o agite los brazos
Never swim alone ­Nunca
nade solo
More information about
rip currents can be found
at the following web sites:
Para más información acerca
de la resaca consulte estos
sitios de web:
www.ripcurrents.noaa.gov
www.usla.org
IF CAUGHT IN A RIP CURRENT
SI LO ATRAPA LA RESACA
RIP CURRENT (RESACA)
RIP CURRENT (RESACA)
RIP CURRENT
RIP CURRENTS
ESCAPE ESCAPE
ESCAPE ESCAPE
www.ripcurrents.noaa.gov
® ¡ESCÁPESE DE LA RESACA!
(RESACA)
www.usla.org
Periodicals
Postage Paid
at Raleigh, NC
North Carolina Sea Grant
North Carolina State University
Box 8605
Raleigh, NC 27695-8605
S U B S C R I B E
Until August 30, buy a one-year subscription
to Coastwatch, $15, and get another free.
Write “2012 BOGO” on your checks. Educators
get this special offer for $10. Use the code “2012
Education.” Send checks to Coastwatch, North
Carolina Sea Grant, NC State University, Box 8605,
Raleigh, NC 27695-8605. For more information,
call 919/515-9101 or email: sandra_harris@ncsu.edu.
C O N N E C T
Keep up with North Carolina Sea Grant.
Visit our website: www.ncseagrant.org for news
and upcoming events. Become a “fan” at:
www.facebook.com/ncseagrant. Read Coastwatch
stories at: www.nccoastwatch.org. On Twitter,
follow @ncsg_katiem.
N O R T H C A R O L I N A
S E A G R A N T :
Your link to research and resources
for a healthier coast.
LEFT: Be safe while you are enjoying the surf. Go to:
www.ncseagrant.org and search for “Break the Grip”
to order rip current materials, or call 919/515-9101.