Coastwatch 



COASTAL 



TIDINGS 



Managing Editor 

 Katie Mosher 



Senior Editors 

 Ann Green 

 Pam Smith 



Contributing Editor 

 Cynthia Henderson 



Designer 

 L. Noble 



Circulation Manager 

 Sandra Harris 



The North Carolina Sea Grant College 

 Program is a federal/state program that 

 promotes the wise use of our coastal and 

 marine resources through research, extension 

 and education. It joined the National Sea Grant 

 College Network in 1970 as an institutional 

 program. Six years later, it was designated a 

 Sea Grant College. Today, North Carolina Sea 

 Grant supports several research projects, 

 a 15-member extension program and a 

 communications staff. Ron Hodson is director. 

 The program is funded by the U.S. Department 

 of Commerce's National Oceanic and 

 Atmospheric Administration and the state 

 through the University of North Carolina. 

 Coastwatch (ISSN 1068-784X) 

 is published six times a year by the 

 North Carolina Sea Grant College Program, 

 North Carolina State University, Box 8605. 

 Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-8605. 

 Telephone: 919/515-2454. Fax: 919/515-7095. 

 Subscriptions are $15. 

 E-mail: katie_mosher@ncsu.edu 

 World Wide Web address: 

 http://www.ncseagTant.org 

 Periodical Postage paid at Raleigh, N.C. 



POSTMASTER: Send address changes to 



Coastwatch. North Carolina Sea Grant, 

 North Carolina State University, Box 8605, 

 Raleigh, NC 27695-8605. 



Front cover photo of Harker's Island 

 and table of contents photo of mullets 

 by Scott D. Taylor. 

 Printed on recycled paper. ® 



North Carolina 

 Suits Up 



tay West. Channel Islands. 

 British Columbia. North Carolina 

 maintains its rank amongst 

 preferred exotic scuba diving 

 locations in North America. 

 Rodale's Scuba Diving magazine 

 gave North Carolina high grades in 

 its 10th Annual Top 100 Awards. 



With added points for 

 uniqueness, North Carolina took 

 first place for Top Wreck Diving 

 and Top Places to Dive With Big 

 Animals. The state also ranked 

 second for Top Underwater 

 Photography, second for Top 

 Advanced Diving, third for 

 Repeat Performance, fourth for 

 Top Visibility, and fifth for Top 

 Fish Life. 



And out of anywhere in 

 North America that you could dream of diving, 

 North Carolina came in second as the Top Dive 

 Destination. 



From our very own Morehead City, 

 Olympus Dive Center tied for first as Dive 

 Operator with Top Values and came in third as 

 Top Dive Operator. 



North Carolina's awards come as no 

 surprise to Patricia Wuest, editor for RSD, who 

 says the state is "extremely popular among 



wreck divers, since it takes an advanced diver 

 with a lot of experience under their belt to dive 

 in North Carolina." 



"The historic wrecks can be very moving 

 for some divers," says Wuest. And the big sand 

 tiger sharks are almost a guaranteed sight 

 among the wreckage. 



View statistics for North Carolina's scuba 

 awards at http://scubadiving.com/feature/ 

 specials/200302topl00/. - LL 



Four from N.C. Make Best Beach list 



Dr. Beach, aka coastal scientist Stephen Leatherman, named four North Carolina beaches to 

 his 2003 Best Beaches in America list. 



Coquina Beach at Cape Hatteras, Hammocks Beach State Park, Holden Beach and Ocracoke 

 Island beaches are among the 38 deemed best in the country. 



The rating system is based on a scale of 50 criteria, ranging from sand softness to water quality. 

 Leatherman's emphasis is on a balance of sustainable development with ecological preservation. 



The list is compiled each year by Leatherman for National Geographic 's Smart Traveler feature. 



-P.S. 



In the Next Issue of Coastwatch 



\^nture to Bird Island, where Ann Green introduces Sea Grant researchers documenting 

 the barrier island off Sunset Beach. Julie Powers takes you to Lukens, a Carteret County 

 town that is no more. And Lilly Loughner suggests coastal books for holiday gifts. 



2 AUTUMN 2003 



