After spending much of the summer under mandatory water use restrictions, Brunswick County Public Utilities customers are now being asked to voluntarily conserve watering lawns.
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CRC seawall science skeptics attempt ‘political stand’: Cahoon
The Coastal Resources Commission Science Panel’s recently presented analysis and recommendations regarding proposed fixes for the Outer Banks’ severe beach erosion were not the messages that commissioners opposed to the state ban on breakwaters and other hard structures on the oceanfront wanted to hear, nor was the chair’s sharp rebuke.
Recreational fishermen reminded to report flounder harvest
N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries officials are reminding recreational flounder anglers that they must report their harvest this year.
Tailing reds in spartina marshes: Think like a struggling crab
When conditions are right, the tide is high, and the moon is full, and the redfish are able to swim above the spartina flats, look for their tails breaching the surface as they feed on fiddler crabs. Be the crab.
Resilient coastal communities workshop set for Sept. 24
A Sept. 24 workshop on the North Carolina Resilient Coastal Communities Program will be hosted in New Bern.
Fisheries ruling sets up likely yearslong state response
Now that a judge has ruled that the state has failed to rebuild and maintain healthy fish stocks and protect key habitats as required by law, fisheries officials must turn to the remedy phase, which is unclear at best.
State record cubera snapper boated off Cape Hatteras
The 85-pound fish measured just over 56 inches total length and had a girth of 40 inches, officials said.
Artists given shot at inspiring battleship memorial license tag
The North Carolina Battleship Memorial is accepting original human-made artwork from current and former state residents that could inspire the design of a potential state specialty license plate.
NOAA’s Beaufort Lab to get new facility
NOAA’s Beaufort Laboratory on Pivers Island is getting a new multi-million facility, the agency announced Thursday.
Recent rains help but heat has amplified long-dry conditions
“Heat Wave,” “The Heat is On,” “Burning for You”: Song titles that may suit the sweltering summer that has left most of coastal North Carolina parched, and the state climatologist says the rainfall deficits much of the state is seeing began in August 2025.
Dawson Creek bridge replacement project to begin Aug. 31
Starting Monday, crews will close Janeiro Road in Pamlico County to begin construction of a new bridge over Dawson Creek.
Report blue land crab sightings to help biologists understand breadth
If you spot the non-native species, which looks like enormous fiddler crabs, snap a photo and report the date and location to the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries.
Webinar to cover benefits, permitting of living shorelines
The North Carolina Coastal Reserve and National Estuarine Research Reserve in partnership with the Brunswick County Association of Realtors offers “Promoting Living Shorelines for Erosion Control – A Virtual Workshop for Real Estate Professionals.”
Rainfall that closed NC 12 on Pea Island part of climate trend
A recent a rainstorm that one transportation engineer described as “an extreme circumstance” nearly impossible to plan for surprised even the most seasoned Outer Bankers when it closed N.C. Highway 12, although more weather like this is to be expected.
Ferry Division awarded federal grant to replace bulkhead
Officials noted that the federal grant greatly reduces the amount of state funding required to cover the project’s cost.
Anglers asked to donate flounder carcasses for research
Flounder carcasses donated to the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries during the 2026 recreational flounder season will be used for research to help inform future stock assessments.
