COASTAL 



TIDINGS 



HazNet 



Salt Marsh Restoration 

 Improves Coastal Habitats 



New Web Site 

 Opens Window on 

 Coastal Hazards 



Want guidelines on protecting 

 your roof during a hurricane or tips 

 on storm shutters? How about access 

 to disaster experts or data on major 

 hurricanes? All of this information is 

 available online at the new Sea 

 Grant HazNet site, a national 

 information network focusing on 

 coastal hazards awareness, research 

 and outreach programs. 



To help people meet the 

 challenges of natural disasters — 

 from floods and coastal erosion to 

 storm surges and hurricanes — 

 the site provides information and 

 resources from Sea Grant, the 

 National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

 Administration and other sources. 



Consumers can access basic 

 information about coastal hazards as 

 well as detailed reports, including 

 one on the building codes and 

 practices in south Florida since 

 Hurricane Andrew. 



The project aims to "enhance 

 the contributions of the Sea Grant 

 network in the national effort to 

 reduce the adverse impacts of 

 natural hazards, including loss of 

 life, economic losses and social 

 disruptions," says South Carolina 

 Sea Grant Extension Program 

 Leader Bob Bacon, who oversees 

 the site. 



Visit the HazNet Web site at 

 www.hamet.org. — A.G. 



Ai ong North Carolina's coast and 

 across the country, salt marshes have 

 disappeared at an alarming rate during the 

 past century. 



Because salt marshes are of para- 

 mount ecological importance, researchers 

 have developed a number of restoration 

 techniques — from removal of fill to 

 planting new salt marsh vegetation. 



These restoration techniques are 

 summarized in the new publication Salt 

 Marsh Restoration: Coastal Habitat 

 Enhancement by B.J. Copeland, former 

 director of North Carolina Sea Grant. The 

 publication was funded by the National 

 Sea Grant Program, North Carolina Sea 

 Grant and the National Oceanic and 

 Atmospheric Administration Coastal 

 Ocean Program. 



"I want to show that — after 30 years 

 of research by scientists like Steve Broome 



of North Carolina State University — it is 

 possible to restore fundamental coastal 

 habitats," says Copeland, professor of 

 zoology and marine sciences at NC State. 



'To restore marshes, you need to pay 

 attention to details. I hope the publication 

 will help coastal managers find new ways 

 to mitigate salt marshes." 



To help managers understand 

 restoration techniques, the booklet is 

 packed with photos and drawings. 

 Guidelines are given for site selection and 

 site preparation, establishing vegetation 

 and cultivation and maintenance. To gauge 

 success, the last section gives advice on 

 landscape assessment and monitoring. 



To order your free copy of Salt Marsh 

 Restoration, call North Carolina Sea Grant 

 at 919/5 15-2454, e-mail harriss® 

 unity.ncsu.edu or fax your request to 919/ 

 515-7095. " -A.G. 



Beach Strolls Yield Simple Treasures 



he search for 

 seashells can delight 

 beachcombers of all 

 ages. Identifying these 

 treasures adds to the 

 excitement of the hunt. 



In fact, summer 

 beach adventures offer 

 the perfect opportu- 

 nity for hands-on 

 learning. 



Seashells of North 

 Carolina is ideal for a 

 shell-hunter's beach 

 tote — and would 

 make a great gift for a 

 special teacher. 



This 1 32-page book offers back- 

 ground on bivalves and gastropods and 

 tips for the serious collector. 



To identify a shell, readers can turn to 

 the "descriptive guide to families" section 

 which leads to entries for each family. 



Scott D. Taylor 



The book 

 contains details for 

 more than 250 shells 

 found in North 

 Carolina. Size, 

 description and 

 habitat are noted, 

 along with black-and- 

 white photographs. 

 The book also includes 

 30 color photographs. 



The award- 

 winning Seashells of 

 North Carolina, written 

 by Hugh J. Porter and 

 Lynn Houser, is 

 available for $1 2 per copy. To order, make 

 your check payable to North Carolina Sea 

 Grant. Mail your request to North Carolina 

 Sea Grant, North Carolina State University, 

 Box 8605, Raleigh, NC 27695-8605. For 

 more information, call 919/515-2454. 



-KM 



EARLY SUMMER 7999 



