COASTAL 



TIDINGS 



NOAA's Beaufort Lab 

 Marks 100 Years of Service 



H, 



I urricanes delayed, but could not 

 deter, plans to mark the NOAA Beaufort 

 Laboratory's 100 years of history in — 

 and service to — the conservation of our 

 nation's living marine resources. 



November events, including a 

 scientific conference, a study day for 

 area students, and an open house for 

 the general public, drew several hundred 

 visitors to the National Oceanic and 

 Atmospheric Administration's Center 

 for Coastal Fisheries and Marine Habitat 

 Research at Beaufort. Better known as 

 NOAA's Beaufort Laboratory, the 

 facility is the second oldest marine 

 research laboratory, and one of several 

 collectively known as the National 

 Centers for Coastal Ocean Science. 



Dan Hoss, interim director, along 

 with researchers and staff, hosted 

 middle and high school students, who 

 delighted in the display of reef fish and a 

 live tank exhibit. 



An open house gave interested 

 citizens a rare look inside the laboratory 



and a chance to talk with staffers about 

 the past and present research on coastal 

 environment. 



One of the earliest achievements, 

 Hoss notes, was a forerunner of modern 

 aquaculture practices. Just after World 

 War I, the culinary demand for the 

 diamond back terrapin led to overfishing 

 — and drastic population reductions. 

 Scientists at the Beaufort Laboratory 

 began an experiment to raise the sought 

 after culinary treat. 



Recent achievements include 

 protecting sea grasses and enhancing 

 the understanding of the life cycles of 

 estuarine-dependent fish. 



In 2000, Hoss says, scientists 

 will study the effects of the state's 

 historic 1 999 hurricanes. They will 

 continue to provide the scientific 

 information to help shape coastal 

 resource management policies. More 

 information is available on the Web at: 

 http:/ '/shrimp, bea. nmfs.gov/labpage. html. 



-P.S. 



Winter 

 Waterfowl Show 



If you're heading for a 

 winter weekend get-away at the 

 coast, you won't be alone. So will 

 thousands of waterfowl escaping 

 blasts of Arctic air. National 

 Wildlife Refuge Centers at Pea 

 Island and Alligator River offer 

 prime viewing and photo-taking 

 opportunities. 



The Outer Banks habitats 

 provide resting and feeding points 

 for migrating waterfowl and an 

 array of bird species. The feathery 

 show usually continues through 

 March, or until the first hint of the 

 season's change calls them home. 



Though guided tours or 

 formal refuge programs won't be 

 offered again until spring, helpful 

 information is available at each 

 visitors center to ensure safe, self- 

 guided trail walks or drives. 



The area is a popular, off- 

 season destination for wildlife 

 lovers, in part, because of nature- 

 based festivals, such as the annual 

 Wngs over Water festival held in 

 early November. During the most 

 recent festival, some 185 species 

 of birds were spotted. The event 

 drew about 300 participants and 

 pumped more than $200,000 

 into the local economy. 



Many of the unusual birds 

 spotted by Wngs enthusiasts 

 have since continued their 

 southern migration. Others are 

 likely to take advantage of the 

 abundant food source and 

 remain along with great numbers 

 of waterfowl. 



Information about the 

 Pea Island and Alligator River 

 Centers is on the Internet at: 

 www.fws.gov. Follow the links to 

 the Southeast site. — P.S. 



COASTWATCH 



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