COASTAL 



TIDINGS 



Marine Mammals Conference Set 



Experts who study marine mammals — 

 manatees, dolphins, whales and porpoises — 

 are heading inland for the XV Biennial 

 Conference on the Biology of Marine 

 Mammals, Dec. 14-19, at the Joseph S. Koury 

 Convention Center/Sheraton Greensboro 

 Hotel. Hosted by the Society for Marine 

 Mammalogy, the conference will provide the 

 opportunity for professional marine mammal 

 biologists and students to share the latest 

 studies and knowledge. 



Nearly 1 ,500 scientists from more than 



30 countries are expected to attend the 

 conference. Workshops will present varied 

 topics, from Ethics in Marine Mammal 

 Research to the Biology of the Genus Koiga 

 — sperm whales. 



A Dec. 1 7 evening event will be open to 

 the public to provide information on the 

 effects of sound on marine mammals. 



For further information, go to http:// 

 smm2003biennial. marinemammalogy. org or 

 contact Edward O. Keith at 954/262-8322 

 or at conference@marinemammalogy.org. — L.L. 



Commercial Fishing Show 

 Celebrates Heritage 



I he North Carolina Fisheries Association 

 will host the 24th annual North Carolina 

 Commercial Fishing Show Feb. 28-29 at New 

 Bern's Riverfront Convention Center. 



Visit North Carolina Sea Grant's education 

 display in the main exhibit hall to learn about our 

 latest research, education and extension activities. 



The annual event is an opportunity to 

 celebrate the state's commercial fishing heritage. 

 Members of the fishing industry see the latest 

 marine technologies — from engines to foul 

 weather gear. The general public gets a glimpse of 



what it takes to get the fish from the boat to the 

 dinner table. Special activities for youngsters 

 include a scavenger hunt and arts and crafts. 



The agenda also includes seminars that 

 highlight successful Fishery Resource Grant and 

 Blue Crab Research projects, which are funded 

 by the N.C. General Assembly and administered 

 by Sea Grant. The projects are meant to enhance 

 the commercial fishers' efforts and profits. 



For the complete two-day agenda, as well 

 as sponsorship opportunities, go online to 

 www.ncfish.org. — P.S. 



Check Out Troubled Waters from UNC-W 



The University of North Carolina at 

 Wilmington's latest documentary, Troubled 

 Waters: The Illusion of Abundance, takes a 

 compelling look at the worid's water dilemma. 



Narrated by UNC-W Chancellor 

 Emeritusjames R. Leutze, the documentary 

 originally aired on UNC-TV, and now is available 

 on video at schools and libraries across the state. 

 The hour-long program explores the global, 

 national and statewide water supply crisis — 

 and potential solutions. 



The state's drought of the summer of 2002 

 may have faded from memory with the wet 

 spring and summer of 2003, but water supply 



issues remain a top public policy concern in 

 North Carolina. 



The documentary project includes an 

 educational Web site, www.uncw.edu/ 

 troubledwaters, complete with lessons and 

 activities for educators and students. The site 

 also suggests related books, articles and Web 

 sites; international, national and state agencies; 

 conservation tips; and examples of water-wise 

 entities. 



The documentary, produced by UNCW- 

 TV, is available for purchase at $22.95. To order, 

 or to request additional information, contact 

 Barbie Cowan at 91 0/962-2650. -P.S. 



Morehead 

 Train Depot 

 Preserves Fast 



A 1 905 train depot — once a 

 bustling place around which Morehead 

 City grew and prospered — will not be 

 forgotten. Instead, community leaders 

 plan to relocate and preserve the station. 



The building soon will travel 

 down Arendell Street to City Park. 

 There, renovations will transform the 

 depot into a historic community building 

 containing a public meeting facility. 



The history of the rail service is integral 

 to Morehead's past. In the early 1850s, 

 Shepard Point Land Company bought 600 

 acres of what is now Morehead City with 

 the intent of constructing a Beaufort Inlet 

 port. With the help of Gov.John Motley 

 Morehead, rail service was established in 

 1858, connecting Coldsboro to the port. 



The railroad quickly became the 

 heart of the town. And it wasn't long 

 before the creation of the Atlantic Hotel 

 stimulated travel to Morehead, nicknaming 

 it "Summer Capital by the Sea." 



Now the 1 905 depot is of no use 

 to the North Carolina Railroad, which 

 donated the structure to the town. The 

 U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural 

 Development office has provided funding 

 for this Downtown Morehead City 

 Revitalization Association project. — L.L 



COASTWATCH 5 



