water photography to submarine 

 armament. Regan says the workshop 

 will be open to interested divers and 

 dive shop owners. The final date hasn't 

 been set, so watch "The Back Page" 

 for further information or call Regan 

 (Marine Resource Center/Roanoke 

 Island, 919/473-3937). 



Supplemental funds 

 were recently awarded to 

 biologist Don Kapraun 

 of UNC-W to continue 

 studies started last year 

 on the feasibility of es- 

 tablishing a nori har- 

 vesting industry in southeastern North 

 Carolina. Nori, a lettuce-like marine 

 algae, is cultured and harvested in the 

 Orient where it is used extensively as a 

 seasoning and protein supplement. A 

 similar species of nori (Porphyra sps.) 

 is also found growing on oyster reefs in 

 shallow tidal creeks along the south- 

 eastern section of the state. 



In earlier studies supported by Sea 

 Grant, Kapraun discovered that the 

 unique reproductive pattern of the 

 algae meant that as many as three 

 crops could be harvested during a 

 single growing season. He also found 

 that the nutrient content of the plant 

 (37 percent protein per dry gram) 

 rivaled that of even the most expen- 

 sive, grade A variety produced in 

 Japan. 



Kapraun believes that it may be 

 possible to commercially harvest nori 

 during late winter and early spring, 

 providing North Carolina fishermen 

 with a "back-up" industry. With the 



additional research support, he will 

 look at the standing crop of the algae in 

 North Carolina and determine its cash 

 value. Nick Williamson of the Inter- 

 national Trade Center at Research 

 Triangle Park will study the supply 

 and demand for nori as well as price 

 levels on both domestic and foreign 

 markets. Because the algae thrives in 

 polluted waters, the researchers hope 

 that nori taken from such areas still 

 will be safe for human consumption. As 

 part of the study, Marvin Speck of 

 North Carolina State University 

 (NCSU) and Louis Adcock of UNC-W 

 will test for bacterial, viral and heavy 

 metal contamination of nori taken 

 from waters closed to shellfishing. 



Coastal resources and 

 problems will be the sub- 

 ject of two-day marine 

 social studies workshops 

 later this month and in 

 April. Secondary social 

 studies teachers will 

 review the one-semester high school 

 course which introduces the coastal en- 

 vironment and its multiple uses. Also 

 included in the course are the conflicts 

 and political solutions surrounding the 

 use of the coastal zone. 



Sea Grant's education specialist, 

 Lundie Mauldin, is helping to put the 

 workshops together. Teachers in- 

 terested in signing up may contact 

 John Ellington at the Division of 

 Social Studies in the N.C. Department 

 of Public Instruction. Workshop dates 

 are: March 29-30, at the University of 

 North Carolina at Wilmington; and 



April 5-6 at the College of the Albe- 

 marle, Elizabeth City. Workshop spon- 

 sors are the Office of Coastal Manage- 

 ment, the Office of Marine Affairs, 

 UNC Sea Grant and the Division of 

 Social Studies. 



Severe deterioration is 

 occurring in asbestos ce- 

 ment bulkheads located 

 in coastal North 

 Carolina. Jerry 

 Machemehl, NSCU, has 

 determined that the 

 failures occur in estuarine areas where 

 the waters are acidic and contain high 

 levels of dissolved carbon dioxide. A 

 report describing the field and labora- 

 tory work and outlining the causes for 

 asbestos cement sheet failures is 

 available from Sea Grant, Box 5001, 

 Raleigh, NC 27650. Ask for Working 

 Paper 78-1. It's free to North Carolina 

 residents; out-of-state charges are 

 $4.00. 



Coastwatch is published monthly 

 except July and December by the Uni- 

 versity of North Carolina Sea Grant 

 College Program, 105 1911 Building, 

 North Carolina State University, 

 Raleigh, NC 27650, Vol. 6, No. 3, 

 March, 1979. Dr. B.J. Copeland, 

 director. Written and edited by Karen 

 Jurgensen, Mary Day Mordecai and 

 Virginia Worthington. Second-class 

 postage paid at Raleigh, NC 27611. 



Coastwatch 



105 1911 Building 



North Carolina State University 



Raleigh, NC 27650 



Second-class postage paid 

 at Raleigh, NC 27611 

 (ISSN 0161-8369) 



