A common scene at the beach — increasing development. 



North Carolina has 2.5 million acres of estuary. 

 This area where salt water from the ocean mixes 

 with the fresh waters of rivers and streams is the 

 breeding ground of almost all the commercially 

 important fish caught in the state. 



The estuaries are also the scene of much human 

 development. As more and more types of people 

 and activities compete for the land and water, con- 

 flicts naturally arise. The environment of the 

 estuary — and the economy of the coast — become 

 threatened. 



One way to keep track of the environmental 

 health of the coast is through birds, which are 

 easily affected by change. After several years of 

 developing and perfecting their methods, Jim Par- 

 nell (UNC-W) and Bob Soots (Campbell College) 

 are ready to make the state's first comprehensive 

 bird census. This base-line data compared with 

 future counts will make any changes apparent and 

 warn state officials of possible serious environ- 

 mental problems while there's still time to act. The 

 data, including breeding bird populations, will be 

 compiled in an atlas to be published by Sea Grant. 



One environmental problem which is already 

 obvious is pollution. About 472,760 acres of North 



Carolina's estuaries are closed to commercial shell- 

 fishing because of pollution and much of the blame 

 is placed on septic tanks. Sea Grant researcher 

 Bobby Carlile (NCSU) plans to continue demon- 

 strating alternatives to conventional septic sys- 

 tems. He'll also identify the basic soil limitations 

 for both conventional and experimental septic 

 systems. 



Shellfish waters are now tested for bacterial 

 pollution, but Sea Grant scientist Mark Sobsey 

 (UNC-CH) suspects that the present method 

 doesn't spot viruses like the ones that cause hepa- 

 titis or polio. Through work with the State Shell- 

 fish Sanitation Lab, he'll learn whether the present 

 testing is adequate. If it's not, he plans to suggest 

 a practical virus test he's developed. 



Up in Currituck Sound, Sea Grant researcher 

 Graham Davis (ECU) will tackle the problem of 

 Eurasian watermilfoil, an aquatic weed which is 

 clogging boat motors, breeding mosquitoes, snarl- 

 ing fishing lines and emitting putrid odors when it 

 rots in the fall. There are also questions about how 

 milfoil affects the bass industry, water quality and 

 public health. Davis, along with associates Mel 

 Huish and Leon Abbas at NCSU, will look at the 

 problem from several angles and suggest a solution 

 that is practical and ecologically sound. 



