TiiK UACK mail 



"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 publi- 

 cations. For more information on any 

 of the projects described, contact the 

 Sea Grant offices in Raleigh (919/737- 

 2454). For copies of publications, 

 write UNC Sea Grant, NCSU, Box 

 8605, Raleigh, N.C. 27695-8605. 



The sun is out, the 

 sand is hot, and you're 

 headed for the surf. But 

 before you dive in, heed 

 this warning. Shallow- 

 water dives can cause 

 severe injuries. 

 In a study of diving accidents on 

 California beaches, researchers found 

 that injuries often occurred when 

 swimmers jogged toward the water, 

 then dived into a wave. 



Their heads often struck the gently 

 sloping sea floor or a sandbar. And the 

 impact was sometimes enough to 

 cause paralysis and even death. 



Robert Osborne, a University of 

 Southern California Sea Grant re- 

 searcher, spent the last year analyzing 

 the locations and frequencies of shal- 

 low-water diving accidents along 

 Southern California beaches. He 

 found that most victims are young 

 males. 



"Nine times out of 10, women will 

 duck down and get themselves wet 

 before walking further, up to their 

 waist, to swim," Osborne says. "Teen- 

 age and adult males are more likely to 

 enter the water by making shallow 

 dives under oncoming waves." 



To avoid injury, Osborne advises 

 swimmers to walk into the surf until it 

 is deep enough to swim. Never dive 

 until you know how deep the water is, 

 he says. 



Hundreds of volunteers are hoping 

 to make a clean sweep of North Caro- 

 lina's beaches Sept. 19. 



This coastwide cleanup, known as 

 "Beach Sweep," will take place on our 



inland and coastal shorelines. Volun- 

 teers will pick up marine debris at var- 

 ious sites, then record the amount and 

 sources of plastics found. 



"Beach Sweep" is being coordinated 

 by UNC Sea Grant, the N.C. Division 

 of Parks and Recreation and the N.C. 

 Division of Coastal Management. Sev- 

 eral coastal states such as Texas and 

 Louisiana will conduct similar pro- 

 grams on this date as part of Coast- 

 weeks '87, a national celebration of 

 coastal resources and heritage. 



If you or your civic group would like 

 to take part in North Carolina's beach 

 cleanup, call Kathy Henderson of the 

 Division of Coastal Management at 

 919/733-2293. 



You've always 

 dreamed of owning a 

 place at the beach. But if 

 you're not informed, 

 your dream could be- 

 come a nightmare. Ero- 

 sion, flooding and hurri- 

 canes create added risks for coastal 

 property owners. 



Whether you're buying a vacant lot, 

 cottage, condominium or time share, 

 you could probably use some expert 

 advice. 



To help you through the maze of 

 considerations. Sea Grant and the N.C. 

 Real Estate Commission have pub- 

 lished Your Place at the Beach: A Buy- 

 er's Guide to Vacation Real Estate. 



The 28-page booklet addresses the 

 environmental hazards, ownership 

 options and costs associated with coas- 

 tal real estate. And it can help you 

 know what questions to ask sellers, real 

 estate agents, government personnel 

 and attorneys. 



For a copy, write Sea Grant. The 

 cost for postage and handling is $1. 



The North Carolina State Univer- 

 sity Industrial Extension Service is 

 sponsoring a series of workshops on 

 hazardous waste management. 



The workshops will focus on the 

 waste disposal problems of marinas, 

 small boat manufacturers, vehicle ser- 



vice facilities, educational institutions 

 and hospitals. 



Workshops will be held Sept. 9 in 

 Elizabeth City at the College of the 

 Albemarle and Sept. 10 in Manteo at 

 the N.C. Aquarium. 



For more information, write the 

 Industrial Extension Service, NCSU, 

 Box 7902, Raleigh, N.C. 27695-7902. 

 Or call 919/737-2303. 



Whether you own a 

 30-foot cabin cruiser or a 

 60-foot shrimp boat, a 

 hurricane means trou- 

 ble. Strong winds and 

 rising waters can send a 

 boat ricocheting off 

 other boats, docks or piers like a cue 

 ball on a pool table. 



Ultimately, the boat can be severely 

 damaged or destroyed. 



The North Carolina and South Car- 

 olina Sea Grant College Programs 

 have put together two publications 

 that can help recreational boaters and 

 commercial fishermen ready their 

 boats for hurricanes. 



North Carolina Sea Grant has devel- 

 oped a 17-by-24 inch poster. Hurricane 

 Preparedness Checklist for Recreation- 

 al Boaters, that provides a pre-hurri- 

 cane checklist of dos and don'ts for 

 small-boat, large-boat and sailboat 

 owners. It offers pointers on removing 

 equipment, checking gear, securing 

 the boat and more. 



For a copy of this graphic poster, 

 write North Carolina Sea Grant, Box 

 8605, North Carolina State University, 

 Raleigh, N.C. 27695-8605. Enclose $1 

 for postage and handling. 



For information on protecting a com- 

 mercial investment, send for South 

 Carolina Sea Grant's new 16-page 

 booklet. Hurricane Preparedness for 

 Commercial Fishing Vessels, Docks 

 and Fish Houses. It provides a step-by- 

 step preparation guide and checklist 

 for what to do as a hurricane ap- 

 proaches. And it offers suggestions for 

 choosing a mooring location and pre- 

 paring docks or fish houses for these 

 ferocious storms. 



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