Coastwatch 



COASTAL 



TIDINGS 



Managing Editor 

 Katie Mosher 



Senior Editors 

 Ann Green 

 Renee Wolcott Shannon 



Designer 

 Linda Noble 



Circulation Manager 

 Sandra Harris 



The North Carolina Sea Grant College 

 Program is a federal/state program that 

 promotes the wise use of our coastal and 

 marine resources through research, extension 

 and education. It joined the National Sea Grant 

 College Network in 1970 as an institutional 

 program. Six years later, it was designated a 

 Sea Grant College. Today, North Carolina Sea 

 Grant supports several research projects, 

 a 12-member extension program and a 

 communications staff. Ron Hodson is director. 

 The program is funded by the U.S. Department 

 of Commerce's National Oceanic and 

 Atmospheric Administration and the state 

 through the University of North Carolina. 

 Coastwatch (ISSN 1068-784X) is published 

 bimonthly, six times a year, for $15 by the 

 North Carolina Sea Grant College Program, 

 North Carolina State University, Box 8605, 

 Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-8605. 

 Telephone: 919/515-2454. Fax: 919/515-7095. 

 E-mail: kmosher@unity.ncsu.edu. 

 World Wide Web address: 

 http:llwww2.ncsu.edulsea_grantlseagrant.html. 

 Periodical Postage paid at Raleigh, N.C. 



POSTMASTER: Send address changes to 

 Coastwatch. North Carolina Sea Grant, 

 North Carolina State University, Box 8605, 

 Raleigh, NC 27695-8605. 



Nickens at the Belhaven Museum 



Coastwatch Live: 

 An Evening with Eddie Nickens 



If you enjoyed "The Hook," T. 

 Edward Nickens' account of life on Cape 

 Lookout, or "The Big Ditch," his story of a 

 three-day journey down the Intracoastal 

 Waterway, get out your calendar. On Nov. 

 16 at 7 p.m., Nickens will read from his 

 award-winning Coastwatch series for a 

 Friends of the Library event at NC State 

 University. 



In his talk, "Cape, River, Inlet, Sound: 

 Where History Meets the Sea," Nickens 

 will revisit North Carolina's historic coastal 

 landmarks. In addition to "The Hook" and 

 "The Big Ditch," Nickens' stories for 

 Coastwatch spotlighted the controversial 

 history of Oregon Inlet, surf fishing at Cape 

 Hatteras, market hunting on Currituck 

 Sound and, most recendy, the history of the 

 Cape Fear River. 



A High Point native now living in 



Raleigh, Nickens has written about natural 

 history for 15 years. In 1998, he won five 

 national writing awards presented by the 

 Outdoor Writers Association of America, 

 including the "best of the best" award for 

 the year. Two of his Coastwatch articles 

 placed in the competition. Nickens is 

 currently at work on a book outlining the 

 history of wildlife in North Carolina. 



Nickens' reading, which is free and 

 open to the public, will be held in the 

 second floor assembly room of the D.H. 

 Hill Library on the NC State campus. 



For more information about the 

 reading or to join Friends of the Library, 

 call 919/515-2841; write to the Friends of 

 the Library, NCSU Libraries, Box 71 1 1, 

 Raleigh, NC 27695-7 1 1 1 ; or visit the Web 

 site at www.lib.ncsu.edu/libraries/ 

 administration/foil. - R.W.S. 



Front cover photo of birds 

 by Scott D. Taylor. 

 Table of contents photo of surfer 

 by Michael Halminski. 



Printed on recycled paper. © 



Wit 



In the Next Issue of Coastwatch 



the year 2000 on the horizon, the next issue of Coastwatch will take a 

 look at both the past and the future of life and science along the coast. How 

 has life changed for commercial fishers and fishing villages over the centu- 

 ries? And glimpse the future of marine science as you join young researchers 

 from Manteo High School on a field expedition. 



2 AUTUMN 1999 



