- 11 



g) The Bird Shoal area is used to some extent by the 

 conrraercial fishery. Considerable "clam-kicking" was obvious 

 on Bird Shoal in the winter 1978-1979. Some oystering is 

 done in the area near Horse Island and a few nets are often 

 set in this area. In fall "hauling for mullet" is done on 

 the outer beach of Bird Shoal. The above are direct contri- 

 butions of Bird Shoal-Carrot Island to the commercial fishery. 

 Of course, the area's major contribution to the commercial 

 fishery would be more indirect, i.e. as a productive nursery 

 ground (mainly the marsh and eelgrass areas) for species that 

 are harvested elsewhere. 



2. Protection Status: 



The State of North Carolina will have acquired by the 

 Fall of 1983 approximately 2,025 acres of islands, marshes, 

 intertidal flats, tidal creeks, and shallow estuarine waters. 

 Land areas include Carrot Island, Horse Island, Bird Shoal 

 and Town Marsh. A Management Plan has been developed and 

 reviewed extensively by Beaufort citizens, scientists and 

 local officials. It will be submitted by July 1, 1983 to 

 the Federal Office (OCRM) for approval. 



Contact Person: Sanctuary Coordinator 



Office of Coastal Management 

 Raleigh, N. C. 27611 

 919/733-2293 



Vegetation and Plant Communities: 



The "original" topography of the Bird Shoal-Carrot Island 

 area, amplified by spoiling operations of this century, has 

 contributed to a large diversity of habitats in a relatively 

 small area. There are: 



1) deep water areas adjacent to Bird Shoal-Carrot Island, 

 i.e. Beaufort Inlet, Bulkhead Channel, Taylor Creek, and North 

 River. 



2) some deep water (not exposed by tides) areas within 

 the study site, i.e. the deeper tidal creeks, the deeper open 

 water near Horse Island, and the relatively deep "bay" at 



the west end of Bird Shoal. These areas have some eelgrass 

 ( Zostera marina ) growth, but it appears to be sparse. 



35 ^oyster rocks. There is also a small section of rock 

 breakwater. 



4) mud flats. Flats are most muddy adjacent to Horse 

 Island and at the west end of Bird Shoal. At the last loca- 

 tion, the muddiness is probably largely due to spoiling 

 operations in this century. 



5) sand flats. The flats of Bird Shoal near Beaufort 

 Inlet, especially in the southeastern section of the shoals, 

 are sandy. This broad area of sand flats may be the largest 

 area of intertidal sand flats in the state. 



