FROM THE EDITOR 



Summer School 



Watch out Wilmington, the energy level is 

 about to escalate as the National Marine Educators 

 Association takes the coast by storm. 



Hundreds of educators — from schools, 

 libraries, aquariums, museums, parks, universities, 

 etc. — will be in town July 20-24 for the group's 

 annual meeting. This year, conference organizers 

 are extending a special invitation to home-school 

 parents looking for creative curricula. 



NMEA members are the folks who get kids of 

 all ages excited about the unique plants and 

 animals found in coastal and marine ecosystems. 

 You can imagine just how packed the schedule will 

 be — more than 150 concurrent sessions with 

 themes such as climate and weather, technology in 

 ocean sciences education, elementary education 

 and maritime heritage. Yes, they teach about people, too. 



And, you can't keep them in their seats. Field trips range from 

 scuba diving at shipwrecks to fossil hunting on shore, and from helping 

 out at the turtle hospital to exploring undeveloped Masonboro Island. 



North Carolina Sea Grant, along with the National Sea Grant 

 College Program and other state programs in the region, are among 

 the many sponsors of the event. Look for the Sea Grant exhibit and 

 stop to say hello. 



To find out more about the conference, including single-day 

 registration, go online to www.marine-ed.org/ninea2003. Or, 

 check with co-chairs: Andy Wood of North Carolina Audubon, 

 910/798-8376, awood@audubon.org; or Terri Kirby Hathaway 

 of the N.C. Aquarium at Roanoke Island, 252/473-3494, x227, 

 terri. hathaway@ncmail. net. 



Terri and Andy represent two of the many agencies and organiza- 



I N THIS ISSUE 



Contributing Writers: 

 Ann Green D Cynthia Henderson Q Lilly Loughner 

 Katie Mosher Julie Powers ° Pam Smith 



Contributing Photographers: 

 Cheryl Burke D Michael Halmiriski 

 Melissa McGaw n Matt Parker Edward L. Perry 

 Pam Smith D Scott D. Taylor 



North Carolina's diverse coast offers countless interesting subjects. 

 The large dots on the locator map indicate story settings in this issue — 

 including Manteo, the Albemarle Sound and Carteret County. 



tions that have marine educators on staff, providing 

 a wide range of public programs along our coast. 



Visitors to the coast should take advantage of 

 these educational opportunities alongside the rest 

 and relaxation, wading adventures and elaborate 

 sandcastles, beach novels and afternoon naps that 

 fill days at the beach. And, coastal residents can 

 find out more about their own backyard through 

 seminars and workshops — some at the facilities, 

 others in the field, marsh, surf, etc. 



All three of the aquariums — Fort Fisher, Pine 

 Knoll Shores and Roanoke Island — offer a variety 

 of programs, as do the National Estuarine Research 

 Reserves, the N.C. Maritime Museum, state parks, 

 national seashores and the national wildlife refuges. 

 Also check the schedules of nonprofit groups, 

 such as Partnership for the Sounds, the N.C. Coastal Federation and 

 the Nature Conservancy, just to name a few. 



Ask locals about hidden treasures, and they may tell you about 

 the Missiles and More Museum, located in the Assembly Building in 

 Topsail Beach. Displays relate the role Topsail Island played in the 

 development and early testing of missiles and jet aircraft. The "more" 

 topics include a display of sharks' teeth that can be found on the 

 island's shoreline. 



In more than 15 years of visiting North Carolina beaches, I have 

 always found Topsail to have a plentiful supply of sharks' teeth. Thus 

 a few years back I was happy to take home the museum's simple brochure 

 that identifies various teeth by size, shape and respective species. 



Much like the sea beans described in this issue, sharks' teeth provide 

 "teachable moments" alongside the thrill of finding a coastal treasure. 



Katie Mosher, Managing Editor 



