NORTH CAROLINA STATE LIBRARY 

 RALEIGH 



N. c 

 Doc. 



UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA 



mm 



MAR 7 1979 



June, 1978 



105 1911 Building 

 NCSU, Raleigh, N.C. 27650 Tel: (919) 737-2M 



North Carolina's bountiful estuaries 



There are nearly 2.3 million acres of estuaries, tidal 

 marshes, bays and sounds along North Carolina's 

 coast. If that sounds like a lot, it is. North Carolina 

 ranks third, behind only Alaska and Louisiana, in es- 

 tuarine waters found along its coast. These waters 

 form the backbone of the coastal environment. 



Through a delicate balance of water, plants and 

 nutrients, estuaries provide nursery grounds for 

 many of the state's most valuable commercial fin- 

 fish and shellfish. But in recent years these areas 

 have come under increasing strain. Fishing pressures 

 are growing more intense, while environmental 

 pressures from industrial and agricultural runoff 

 are threatening many existing catches. 



At Sea Grant, scientists are studying the effects of 

 these pressures on the many important resources 

 which come from estuaries. As part of their re- 

 search, they are taking a new look at some relatively 

 unknown estuarine plant and animal species to see 

 what role these resources might play in the future as 

 a source of food for man. 



Six years ago when Don Kapraun first noticed nori 

 growing in some of the tidal creeks near his home in 

 Wilmington, he didn't think much about it. A 

 biologist at the University of North Carolina at Wil- 

 mington (UNC-W), he was busy at the time with a 



study on North Carolina seaweeds. But after several 

 discussions with Japanese researchers at various 

 scientific meetings, he soon realized that the plant 

 could become a valuable food crop. 



Nori, also called Porphyra after its Latin name, is a 

 red alga. Its high protein and vitamin content make it 

 a nutritious ingredient in such Oriental foods as sushi 

 and egg drop soup. In Japan and Korea, the mild sea- 

 food flavor of dried nori is about as popular a season- 

 ing as garlic and sage are in the United States. Today 

 nori is the single most valuable marine resource in 

 Japan, drawing in an estimated $100 million a year. 

 More than 68,000 fishermen are in some way involved 

 with the culture and harvest of nori. 



In North Carolina, nori grows on oyster reefs in the 

 shallow waters of the state's tidal creeks. Because the 

 plant actually attaches itself to oyster shells, 

 Kapraun believes it could be collected along with the 

 oysters and thereby provide fishermen with an ad- 

 ditional source of income. 



With the help of Sea Grant funds, Kapraun is tak- 

 ing a closer look at the nori which grows in North 

 Carolina to see whether commercial harvest is feasi- 

 ble. His research has already turned up some rather 

 unusual findings. 



(See "North Carolina, " page 2) 



mm i // 



