Science

  • Study: Corals Prefer the Taste of Plastic

    Plastic debris in the ocean is often mistaken for food by marine animals, but researchers at the Duke Marine Lab in Beaufort recently discovered that coral found off the N.C. coast prefer it to food.

  • App Offers Guidance On Living Shorelines

    The Nature Conservancy’s Coastal Resilience program has partnered with scientists at the NOAA Beaufort Lab to create an online tool for assessing the suitability of living shorelines along the central North Carolina coast.

  • Camp Lejeune Focus of 10-Year Study

    Researchers studied the complex ecosystems of Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune as part of a 10-year study that wrapped up in October to better understand coastal and estuarine ecosystems in a military training environment.

  • Coastal Barrier Resources Act Focus of Study

    A team of researchers from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill will study the effect the Coastal Barrier Resources Act has had on development along the coasts of North Carolina, Texas, Florida, Alabama and Delaware.

  • Rising Seas: NC Coast Faces Chronic Flooding

    A new report on sea level rise indicates that at least 20 North Carolina communities could be regularly inundated with sea water within 15 years but local experts feel some areas are already suffering the effects.

  • Reefs As Carbon Sinks? Location Matters

    Researchers at the UNC Institute of Marine Sciences have found that oyster reefs may help in mitigating climate change, but near-shore reefs sequester carbon better than others.

  • Study: Predicting How Seawalls Affect Ecology

    A new study provides insight into how different types of shoreline hardening affect the ecology across a variety of coastal settings, giving scientists a model for better predicting the effects.

  • Summer Recipe: How to Make An Algal Bloom

    Not all algal blooms are considered harmful, but the right mix of warmth and nutrients can yield a funky blue-green slime that is potentially toxic to humans, their pets and marine life.

  • Surfing Scientists Develop Wave Forecast Tool

    A team of coastal scientists and a computer engineer have combined their passion for surfing with decades of research to offer an online tool that promises more accurate forecasting of wave conditions along the N.C. coast.