Dr. B. J. Copeland 



Dr. Copeland is director of the 

 University of North Carolina Sea 

 Grant Program. A professor of zool- 

 ogy, botany and marine sciences at 

 North Carolina State University, his 

 research interests have focused on 

 estuarine water quality and ecology. 



Sea Grant looks at ocean outfall problems 



The finite land area of the Outer Banks and the increasing popula- 

 tion there are providing great difficulties for waste disposal. Porous 

 sands can support only a few septic tanks but not nearly enough to 

 dispose of the volume of wastes produced in some areas. Thus, seepage 

 from septic tanks is imposing water quality problems in nearby sur- 

 face waters. Conventional treatment facilities must still dispose of 

 effluents, usually in nearby productive and aesthetically-important 

 sound waters. Land and underground disposal pose serious threats to 

 precious groundwater resources. 



To combat these problems, some municipalities are proposing re- 

 gional collection of sewage, treatment and disposal offshore through 

 ocean outfalls. Ocean outfalls impose several obvious problems — 

 e.g., proper design, knowledge of ocean currents and mixing, eco- 

 nomic alternatives, and lack of criteria and policy by state and federal 

 regulatory agencies. 



The University of North Carolina Sea Grant Program has initiated 

 two studies to focus on the ocean outfall problems. A short-term sur- 

 vey of existing data and information concerning physical character- 

 istics of North Carolina's nearshore continental shelf is almost 

 completed. This study will focus what we already know, which is 

 scant, on the ocean outfall issue as it pertains to North Carolina. A 

 second, more long-term study is underway to provide a model of 

 nearshore currents and mixing, along with collection of pertinent, 

 accurate data. Another study will begin this summer on the septic 

 tank problem. This work has the objective of determining density 

 and design of septic tanks on the Outer Banks where they may be 

 deemed a viable solution to waste disposal. 



As important as these studies are, they are only the beginning 

 of the amount of information required to deal with the waste dis- 

 posal problem. Much more research is needed and will be conducted. 

 We are working with State agencies, the N. C. State University 

 Center for Coastal and Marine Studies, the UNC-Chapel Hill Marine 

 Sciences Program and the UNC Water Resources Research Institute 

 to design and carry out work to yield pertinent short- and long- 

 term information concerning ocean outfalls and alternative means of 

 waste disposal. Obviously, these studies must begin immediately and 

 provide information on a continuous basis. 



Island management 

 publication printed 



Managing dredge islands for 

 waterbirds is the topic of a new 

 UNC Sea Grant publication. 



Entitled "Proceedings of a 

 Conference on Management of 

 Dredge Islands in North Caro- 

 lina Estuaries," the publication 

 reviews work done by UNC Sea 

 Grant investigators Drs. James 



Photo: Robert N. Elliott 



Parnell and Robert Soots. They 

 have made a three year study of 

 dredge island plant and animal 

 life and their potential manage- 

 ment. In addition, the publica- 

 tion surveys the legal and ad- 

 ministrative aspects of possible 

 dredge island management. 



The conference on managing 

 the islands was held last May 

 and attracted some 70 partici- 

 pants from 24 private and gov- 

 ernment agencies. 



Copies of the publication UNC- 

 SG-75-01 may be obtained from 

 the UNC Sea Grant Program 

 Office. North Carolina residents 

 may order one copy free of 

 charge. 



The University of North Carolina 

 Sea Grant Program Newsletter is pub- 

 lished monthly by the University of 

 North Carolina Sea Grant Program, 

 1235 Burlington Laboratories, Yar- 

 borough Drive, North Carolina State 

 University, Raleigh, N. C. 27607. Vol. 

 2, No. 5. May, 1975. Dr. B. J. Copeland, 

 director. Dixie Berg, editor. Second- 

 class postage paid at Raleigh, N. C. 

 2761 



