THE BACK PACK 



"The Back Page" is an update on Sea 

 Grant activities — on research, marine 

 education and advisory services. It's 

 also a good place to find out about 

 meetings, workshops and new publi- 

 cations. For more information on any 

 of the projects described, contact the 

 Sea Grant offices in Raleigh (919/737- 

 2454). For copies of publications, 

 write UNC Sea Grant, NCSU, Box 

 8605, Raleigh, N.C. 27695-8605. 



The ad reads: BEACH 

 HOUSE FOR SALE. 

 Your eyebrows rise, your 

 pulse quickens, and you 

 read on. BRAND NEW 

 TWO-STORY WITH A 

 DECK AND GARAGE. 

 ON THE OCEANFRONT. 



Before you turn your daydream into 

 reality, pick up a copy of Your Place at 

 the Beach: A Buyers Guide to Vaca- 

 tion Real Estate. 



The attractive, 28-page booklet pub- 

 lished by Sea Grant and the N.C. Real 

 Estate Commission offers a thorough 

 look at the fun and frustrations of own- 

 ing coastal property. 



Written by Walter Clark, Sea Grant's 

 coastal law specialist, the booklet 

 addresses the environmental hazards, 

 ownership options and costs associated 

 with coastal real estate. And it can help 

 you know what questions to ask sellers, 

 real estate agents, government person- 

 nel and attorneys. 



Whether you want to buy a vacant 

 lot, townhouse, condominium, cottage 

 or time share, Your Place at the Beach 

 can help you make informed decisions. 



For a copy, write Sea Grant and ask 

 for publication number UNCSG-87- 

 04. The cost is $2.50. 



In the summer of 1983, an extensive 

 blue-green algal bloom spread across 

 the lower part of North Carolina's 

 Neuse River. To learn more about the 

 bloom and its causes, Sea Grant stu- 

 died the factors that supported and 

 sustained the algae's growth. 



Researchers Robert Christian, 

 Donald Stanley and Deborah Daniel, 

 all of East Carolina University, exam- 



ined how chlorophyll, nitrogen, phos- 

 phorus and carbon concentrations 

 affected the bloom. 



Their findings are published in the 

 new Sea Grant working paper Charac- 

 teristics of a Blue-Green Algal Bloom 

 in the Neuse River, North Carolina. 



For a copy, write Sea Grant and ask 

 for UNC-SG-WP-87-2. The cost is $3. 



In coastal North Caro- 

 lina, spring isn't the only 

 thing busting out all over. 

 In late April and May, 

 blue crabs also bust out 

 of their winter shells. 

 And for a few hours after 

 the molt, the blue crab remains in a 

 highly valued softened state. 



To cash in on the crabs' increased 

 value, many fishermen capture the 

 premolt crabs and hold them until they 

 shed their shells. The crabs can be shed 

 in anything from a floating tray in the 

 sound to an elaborate onshore shed- 

 ding system. 



And now Sea Grant agent Wayne 

 Wescott has learned that crabs can be 

 shed in well water. The use of well 

 water eliminates water quality prob- 

 lems and the need for waterfront 

 property. 



To learn more about the well-water 

 shedding system, send for Sea Grant's 

 latest Blueprint, Shedding Soft Crabs 

 in a Closed Well-Water System. The 

 Blueprint describes how to build and 

 set up the system. 



Ask for Blueprint UNC-SG-BP-88-1. 

 It's free. 



If you'd like to know more about 

 shedding crabs, everything from iden- 

 tifying peelers to marketing soft crabs, 

 send for Sea Grant's A Guide to Soft 

 Shell Crabbing. Written by Wescott, 

 the 32-page illustrated booket describes 

 harvesting methods, handling proce- 

 dures and shedding systems. 



For a copy, write Sea Grant. Ask for 

 UNC-SG-84-01. The cost is $3. 



When it comes to talking about 

 their boats, most people go overboard. 



But when maintenance is the topic, 

 boaters often fall short. 



Proper year-round upkeep of boats, 

 motors, trailers and other gear keeps 

 equipment in good working condition 

 and minimizes costly repairs. 



This time of year, it takes special 

 measures to de-winterize boats and 

 ready them for the water. 



Bob Hines, Sea Grant marine advi- 

 sory agent at Pine Knoll Shores, has a 

 few tips for checking boats. 



Recharge the battery and clean the 

 cables and connectors. Empty the old 

 gasoline from the boat's tank and put 

 in fresh gasoline. Check the boat's wir- 

 ing for corrosion. Replace any bad 

 terminals. Inspect and replace spark 

 plugs. Wash and wax the boat. And 

 make sure enough life preservers are 

 onboard. 



For a more extensive list, write Sea 

 Grant for Hines free Blueprint Boat 

 and Gear Preventative Maintenance. 

 Ask for UNC-SG-BP-81-7. 



Lundie Spence is part 

 travel agent and part sales- 

 man. Several times a 

 year, Sea Grant's marine 

 education specialist ar- 

 ranges exciting work- 

 shops to sell teachers on 

 coastal ecology and biology. 



This summer, Spence has two work- 

 shops on her calendar — one in Bogue 

 Banks, N.C, and another in Puerto 

 Rico. 



In Bogue Banks, teachers will use a 

 new curriculum developed by Spence 

 and other specialists to focus on coastal 

 environments. Activities incorporate 

 physics, chemistry, biology and physi- 

 cal science. They are geared toward 

 high school students. 



The workshop, scheduled for July 

 24 to 30, is a joint program with Sea 

 Grant, the N.C. Math and Science 

 Center, and the University of North 

 Carolina at Chapel Hill. 



In Puerto Rico, 20 North Carolina 

 teachers and 20 island teachers will 

 investigate tropical coral reefs, man- 

 grove systems, rain forests and marine 

 grass flats from June 18 to 25. Aug. 13 

 to 16, the Puerto Rican teachers will 

 travel north to Swansboro, N.C, to 

 Continued on next page 



