COASTAL 



TIDINGS 



Eastern Oysters on Federal, State Agendas 



A, 



t small 

 bivalve is making a 

 big impression in 

 both federal and 

 state government 

 this year. 



The National 

 Marine Fisheries 

 Service (NMFS) is 

 reviewing a petition 

 to list the eastern 



oyster (Crassostrea virgjnica) as endangered or 

 threatened under the Endangered Species Act. 



At the state level, several bills regarding 

 oyster restoration and protection have been 

 submitted to the N.C. General Assembly. 

 Proposals include: 



• Creating two new oyster sanctuaries per 



year, 



• Planning an oyster hatchery and public 

 education program at each of the state's three 



aquariums; 



• Prohibiting 

 stormwater 

 discharges into 

 prime shellfish 

 growing areas; 

 and 



• Banning 

 oyster shells from 

 landfills. 



Another 



bill proposes an income tax credit to those 

 willing to donate oyster shells, which are prime 

 substrate for young oyster growth. 



Gov. Mike Easley didn't forget about 

 oysters either. His 2005-06 and 2006-07 

 budget requests include funding for more 

 oyster restorations and no-take sanctuaries, 

 along with support for oyster shell recycling 

 and public outreach programs. 



— K.A. 



Sea Grant Adds Safety Info Items 



This summer, the 

 National Oceanic and 

 Atmospheric Administration 

 (NOAA) continues its 

 rip current awareness 

 campaign with new safety 

 items. 



NOAA programs 

 — including North 

 Carolina Sea Grant 

 and National Weather 

 Service — have 

 added Break the 

 Grip of the Rip™ 

 refrigerator magnets. 

 : magnets continue the 

 Break the Grip of the Rip ™ campaign launched 

 in Wrightsville Beach last year. 



"The magnets are yet another tool to 

 meet the demand from businesses, community 

 agencies and the public for more beach safety 

 information," says Spencer Rogers, North 

 Carolina Sea Grant coastal erosion specialist. 



Rogers has a lofty goal — to get magnets in 

 every hotel room and beach rental property, and 

 eventually to each residence along the coast. 



Sea Grant's first printing — 15,700 

 magnets — is already moving quickly. 



The magnets are $1 each for single 

 requests; 75 cents each for 10 or more; and 50 

 cents each for 100 or more. 



"It is a small investment with an important 

 message. And it could save a life," Rogers adds. 



In addition to the magnets, Sea Grant 

 offers metal signs and brochures with the Break 

 the Grip of the Rip theme designed by Michigan 

 Sea Grant for the national campaign. 



The color signs — available in English 

 and Spanish — are 12 inches by 18 inches 

 and cost $25 each. A 25 percent discount is 

 available for orders of 10 or more. 



Up to 30 Break ttw Grip of the Rip 

 brochures can be requested at no charge. 

 Additional brochures are available for 20 cents 

 each. Call Sea Grant for pricing on 100 or more 

 brochures. 



Templates for the brochures and signs 

 also can be downloaded from www.ripcurrents. 

 noaa.gov. 



For additional ordering information, call 

 North Carolina Sea Grant at 919/515-9101. 



- A.G. 



New Aquaculture 

 Research has 

 Commercial 

 Potential 



A new project in aquaculture 

 research, education and potential 

 commercial production is underway at 

 Sturgeon Cityjacksonville's budding 

 environmental learning center. 



Partnering with the University of 

 North Carolina at Wilmington's Center for 

 Marine Science, the city is converting drying 

 beds from its old wastewater treatment 

 plant for use in the study. 



The Sturgeon City project is an 

 extension of a UNCW facility operating 

 at Wnghtsville Beach, according to Wade 

 Watanabe, North Carolina Sea Grant 

 researcher and UNCW aquaculture 

 program coordinator. By utilizing the latest 

 technologies and added space, researchers 

 plan to improve the grow-out techniques of 

 important marine finfish, such as sea bass 

 and flounder. 



The infrastructure at Sturgeon City, 

 Watanabe says, "gives us a chance to 

 upscale our laboratory research on marine 

 finfish aquaculture to a pilot commercial 

 endeavor." For example, commercial 

 practitioners will be invited to train and 

 develop on-site expertise — demonstrating 

 the commercial viability of the project. 



The research project also will aid 

 staff at Sturgeon City in plans to cultivate 

 submerged aquatic vegetation and marsh 

 grass in several of the drying beds. 



"We hope to gain from this body of 

 knowledge on site to eventually raise striped 

 bass, flounder, and vanous coastal species 

 — therefore widening the possibilities of 

 what you can do at Sturgeon City," says 

 Glenn Hargettjacksonville's community 

 affairs director. 



For more information, contact 

 Watanabe at 910/256-3721 or visit the 

 Sturgeon City Website atwww.sturgeoncity. 

 org. Also, watch for information this fall 

 on the grand opening of the UNCW 

 aquaculture facility at Sturgeon City. 



-L.L. 



COASTWATCH 5 



