THE BACK PAGE 



"The Back Page" is an update 

 on Sea Grant activities — on 

 research, marine education and 

 advisory services. It's also a good 

 place to find out about meetings, 

 workshops and new publications. 

 For more information on any of 

 the projects described, contact the 

 Sea Grant offices in Raleigh 

 (919/737-2454). 



In the Pamlico Sound 

 during June and July, it 

 looked like a jellyfish in- 

 vasion. Fishermen found 

 them clogging their nets. 

 Swimmers were leaving 

 the water. Water-skiers 

 were complaining of being stung, and 

 residents were asking, "Why so many 

 jellyfish this year?" 



Frank Schwartz, a jellyfish expert 

 and biologist at the UNC Institute of 

 Marine Science in Morehead City, 

 says that the "moon jellies" and "sum- 

 mer jellies" that people are seeing are 

 normal summertime visitors, but that 

 their numbers this year are "huge." 



Schwartz says the unusual concen- 

 tration of jellyfish has been caused by 

 higher-than-normal salinity in Pamlico 

 Sound, a condition favorable to 

 jellyfish growth and reproduction 

 there. Also, strong southwesterly 

 winds have pushed many jellies into 

 the upper reaches of the sound. 

 Schwartz says the jellyfish will 

 probably stay around until late August 

 or September. 



Although they do sting, moon jelly- 

 fish are the less pesky of the two. Their 

 disk-shaped bodies are about 18 inches 

 in diameter, but their tentacles are 

 short, only a few inches long. The sum- 

 mer jellyfish is usually about six 

 inches in diameter, but its tentacles are 

 several feet long and its sting can cause 

 pain, a red rash and, in some people, an 

 allergic reaction. 



Over on the beaches, the jellyfish to 

 watch is the Portuguese man'o war, 

 Schwartz says. The man'o war prefers 

 the warm waters of the Gulf Stream, 



but southeasterly winds before sum- 

 mer thunderstorms occasionally push 

 the jellyfish toward the beach. 



Dennis Regan, a Sea Grant marine 

 advisory agent on Roanoke Island, 

 says that jellyfish tentacles retain their 

 sting, even after the jellyfish is dead or 

 washed ashore. If you do get stung, 

 Regan recommends that you use a 

 towel, seaweed, sand, or a knife to 

 gently brush away the tentacles. Cool 

 vinegar, diluted bleach or household 

 ammonia on the affected area will help 

 neutralize the sting, and a paste of 

 meat tenderizer, monosodium 

 glutamate or sodium bicarbonate can 

 help reduce the pain. Regan says that 

 if the pain persists, or if there is any 

 sign of shock or serious reaction, a doc- 

 tor should be consulted. Severe stings 

 have caused cardiac and respiratory 

 arrest, Regan says. 



Ronald G. Hodson 

 will be joining UNC Sea 

 Grant August 1 as its 

 new associate director, 

 replacing William L. 

 Rickards, now director 

 of the Virginia Marine 



Science Consortium. Hodson has been 

 with North Carolina State University 

 since April 1973 as a research associate 

 in the zoology department. Along with 

 his appointment as Sea Grant 

 associate director, Hodson will also be 

 named as assistant professor in the 

 zoology department. 



Hodson, who has a keen interest in 

 estuarine ecology, received his doc- 

 torate from Texas A&M University in 

 wildlife and fisheries sciences. He 

 received his undergraduate degree 

 from Manchester College in North 

 Manchester, Indiana, and his master's 

 degree from the University of 

 Arkansas at Fayetteville. 



Besides performing administrative 

 duties at Sea Grant, Hodson will work 

 closely with the Aquaculture Demon- 

 stration Project in Aurora and con- 

 tinue to pursue his interests in es- 

 tuarine research. 



UNC Sea Grant marine advisory 

 agent Dennis Regan, who works out of 

 the Marine Resources Center on 

 Roanoke Island, will be leaving his 

 post August 14th. Regan, during his 

 four years with Sea Grant, has 

 organized an annual summer lecture 

 series about the Outer Banks, 

 developed a method for using hickory 

 shad as bait, worked extensively with 

 diving groups and associations, co- 

 authored a Sea Grant publication, 

 Wreck Diving in North Carolina, 

 and worked closely with Dare County 

 officials and emergency personnel to 

 improve their awareness of beach 

 safety problems and emergency 

 procedures. 



You may be able to 

 / name the plants in your 



ju/V-jrM own backyard, but how 

 (^iy *J about Pl ant; s in the salt 

 V — marsh? To help you 

 \ 'J identify the herbs, vines, 



grasses and shrubs you 



encounter on your next trek through 

 the marsh, Sea Grant has published A 

 Guide to Salt Marsh Plants Com- 

 mon to North Carolina. Written by 

 Elizabeth Jean Wilson of the Hamp- 

 ton Mariners Museum, the guide 

 characterizes the salt marsh and the 

 plants that live there. An illustrated 

 working key helps readers discover 

 each plant's identity. 



Especially designed as a field trip 

 guide, the 32 -page booklet can be help- 

 ful to educators. To obtain a copy of 

 the salt marsh guide, write UNC Sea 

 Grant, Box 5001, Raleigh, N.C. 27650. 

 Ask for UNC-SG-81-04. The cost is 

 $1.50. 



A fisherman, whether recreational 

 or commercial, relies on good weather 

 to get the job done. But to make sound 

 decisions about weather a fisherman 

 needs accurate, up-to-date informa- 

 tion. 



Jerry Davis of the Department of 



Continued on next page 



