Erosion is no stranger 

 to the North Carolina es- 

 tuarine shoreline. Both a 

 normal and continuing 

 geologic process, typical 

 erosion rates average one 

 to two feet per year. 

 Property owners have only a few op- 

 tions in dealing with this erosion. A 

 bulkhead is one. 



Bulkheads primarily prevent erosion 

 of the high land upland of the wall. 

 But each of the several designs of 

 bulkheads has its own benefits and 

 limitations. Sea Grant's new publica- 

 tion, A Homeowner's Guide to Es- 

 tuarine Bulkheads, discusses these 

 aspects of bulkheads in addition to 

 common construction problems and 

 design considerations to look for when 

 buying one. Written by Spencer M. 

 Rogers, Jr., Sea Grant's coastal 

 engineering specialist, this guide in- 

 cludes a glossary and sources of ad- 

 ditional information for homeowners 

 new to estuarine bulkheads. 



For a free copy of this publication, 

 write Sea Grant, Box 5001, Raleigh, 

 N.C. 27650-5001. Request publication 

 number UNC-SG-81-11. 



One of Sea Grant's most popular 

 publications has been revised. 

 Seashells Common to North 

 Carolina, first published in November 

 1971, recently came under close 

 scrutiny by co-author Hugh J. Porter 

 of the UNC Institute of Marine 

 Sciences, and it emerged updated. The 

 new version contains not only all of 

 your old favorite seashells, but also 

 several new species and many changes 

 in scientific classifications. 



To obtain a revised edition, send 75 

 cents for each copy to Sea Grant. Ask 

 for publication number UNC-SG-72- 

 09. Don't forget that the best time to 

 look for seashells along the North 

 Carolina coast is after a winter storm. 



UNC Sea Grant 

 Director B. J. Copeland 

 has awarded two new 

 mini-grants. The first 

 goes to Spencer Rogers, 

 Sea Grant's coastal 

 engineering specialist, to 

 build a ripple tank at the Fort Fisher 

 Marine Resources Center to 

 demonstrate wave dynamics. By 

 watching the tank simulate beach 

 processes, center visitors will have a 



better understanding of how waves 

 shape our beaches. The ripple tank will 

 also be designed so that visitors can 

 move model breakwaters and other 

 submerged objects to see the resulting 

 wave and beach changes. 



Another mini-grant was awarded to 

 J.E. Hobbie and B.J. Peterson, two 

 scientists with the Marine Biological 

 Laboratory in Woods Hole, 

 Massachusetts. They plan to complete 

 a 17-chapter book, begun earlier, on 

 the ecology of the Pamlico estuarine 

 system. 



Problem: You want 

 to buy a boat, but you 

 can't afford a new one. 

 You've thought about 

 buying one used, but you 

 really don't know how to 

 go about it. So, what do 



you do? Get a copy of How to buy a 

 used boat. 



Written by Bob Hines, Sea Grant's 

 marine advisory services agent at 

 Bogue Banks, this publication is 

 designed as a guide for the prospective 

 used-boat buyer interested in small, 

 recreational power-boats and 

 sailboats. Specific information and a 

 checklist is provided on evaluating and 



rating the boat and determining the 

 price to offer. A glossary of boating 

 terminology is also included. 



To obtain a copy of this free publica- 

 tion, write Sea Grant. Request 

 publication number UNC-SG-81-10. 



Sea Grant researcher 

 (\ Mark Sobsey of the Uni- 



r ; ■ . versity of North 

 l\ Carolina at Chapel Hill, 

 V , : Py/ / in conjunction with 



x \fs / researchers at the 

 National Institute of 

 Health in Bethesda, Maryland, has 

 developed a strain of hepatitis-A that 

 will grow in cell culture. The strain can 

 now be produced in large quantities for 

 research, an important step toward un- 

 derstanding the virus. 



Sobsey is transporting some of the 

 hepatitis-A back to North Carolina for 

 use in his shellfish contamination ex- 

 periments. Hepatitis is one of the most 

 serious viral diseases contaminated 

 shellfish carry. Sobsey plans to con- 

 taminate oysters and clams with the 

 hepatitis-A strain in the laboratory. 

 He will then test the standard methods 

 for detecting other viruses to see how 

 well they detect the presence of 

 hepatitis in the shellfish. 



Coastwatch is a free newsletter. If you'd like to be added to the mailing list, fill 

 out this form and send it to Sea Grant, Box 5001, Raleigh, N.C. 27650. 



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