samples along the lower lengths of the 

 Neuse River. The samples were 

 analyzed to determine water tempera- 

 ture, dissolved oxygen levels, chloro- 

 phyll amounts (indicates the amount of 

 algae present) and nutrient concentra- 

 tions, especially nitrogen. 



In addition, scientists at the N.C. 

 Division of Water Quality, 

 Weyerhaeuser, U.S. Geological 

 Survey, National Marine Fisheries 

 Service, NCSU and East Carolina 

 University have also collected Neuse 

 River samples, sometimes weekly. 



But best of all, the scientists and 

 resource managers are sharing their 

 data. 



This information sharing allows 

 researchers such as Paerl and Pinckney 

 to get a complete picture of conditions 

 on the river. They can better under- 

 stand where nutrients are coming from, 

 how rainfall affects their flow and what 

 effects the nutrients are having on algal 

 growth. 



The collaboration also helps the 

 researchers to predict and alert 

 resource managers to problems such as 

 algal blooms and areas of low dis- 

 solved oxygen that could lead to fish 

 kills. 



Communication Kudos 



Three North Carolina Sea Grant 

 communications projects won Awards 

 of Excellence in APEX '96, the eighth 

 annual awards program recognizing 

 excellence in publications work by 

 professional communicators. 



Communicator Carta Burgess won 

 her award in the training-and-educa- 

 tion-manual category for her writing 

 and editing work on Wetland Plants 

 from Test Tubes. She was one of 12 

 winners in that category. 



In the one-person-produced- 

 newsletter category, communicator 

 Jeannie Faris won an award for Marine 

 Debris Worldwide, the newsletter she 

 wrote, edited and designed for the 

 international marine debris community. 



The Sea Grant National Issues 

 Forum: Can America Save Its Fisher- 

 ies? garnered North Carolina Sea Grant 

 communicator Kathy Hart, Wisconsin 

 Sea Grant communicator Stephen 

 Wittman and Washington Sea Grant 

 communicator Nancy Blanton an award 

 in the media-relations-and-publicity 

 category. 



There were 4,073 entries in the 

 competition and 976 Awards of 

 Excellence in 77 categories. The 

 competition is sponsored by Communi- 

 cations Concepts Inc., publishers of 

 Writing Concepts: The Business 

 Communications Report. 



Oceans of Opportunities 



Although students considering 

 careers in marine sciences often picture 

 themselves at sea working with marine 

 mammals, marine science offers many 

 other interesting opportunities. The 

 guide Marine Science Careers: A Sea 

 Grant Guide to Ocean Opportunities, 

 developed by the Sea Grant programs 

 in New Hampshire and Woods Hole 

 Oceanographic Insititute, will introduce 

 students to a wide range of options. In 

 addition, the guide gives men and 

 women working in marine science a 

 chance to tell you about their careers, 

 what they see for the future in their 

 fields and much more. 



To order a copy of this career 

 guide, write North Carolina Sea Grant, 

 Box 8605, N.C. State University, 

 Raleigh, NC 27695. The cost is $5. 



For a visual treatment of the same 

 subject, students and teachers can buy a 

 copy of a new video, Careers in 

 Marine Science, produced by the 

 National Association of Marine 

 Laboratories. This video introduces 

 high school students and college 

 undergraduates to the range of career 

 options available in marine studies. It 

 also provides information on the 

 educational preparation students will 

 need and describes how students can 

 participate in programs conducted by 



marine labs. Comments from a cross 

 section of students and laboratory 

 researchers offer helpful insights. 



To order a copy of the video, write 

 Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institu- 

 tion, 5600 U.S. 1 North, Fort Pierce. FL 

 34946, Attn: A-V Department. The cost 

 is $12.95. 



New Publication Answers 

 Questions about Buying 

 Coastal Property 



Smart home buyers know they 

 should ask all the right questions. But if 

 you're buying beach property, you may 

 not know which questions are crucial. 



A new publication from North 

 Carolina Sea Grant and the North 

 Carolina Real Estate Commission can 

 help. Questions and Answers on Pur- 

 chasing Coastal Real Estate in North 

 Carolina raises 15 questions and 

 provides concise answers. 



Walter Clark, Sea Grant's ocean 

 and coastal law specialist, wrote the 

 brochure to help consumers make 

 informed decisions. 



"The destruction from Hurricane 

 Fran exemplifies the importance of 

 buying coastal property wisely," says 

 Clark. "For example, knowing whether 

 you can rebuild if your house is de- 

 stroyed is important. It's a key issue 

 right now, and it's a question you need 

 to ask before you build or buy." 



Among the topics the brochure 

 addresses are the hazards that can 

 affect coastal real estate, erosion rates 

 and threats, where to build on an 

 undeveloped oceanfront lot, building 

 features that help reduce or prevent 

 storm damage, flood and wind damage 

 insurance, and rebuilding damaged 

 structures. Included in the brochure is 

 a list of resources for consumers who 

 want further information. 



A copy of the brochure is available 

 from Sea Grant. Call 919/515-2454 

 and request publication UNC-SG-96-10. 

 Or call the North Carolina Real Estate 

 Commission at 919/733-9580. □ 



COASTWATCH 25 



