COASTAL 



TIDINGS 



Hatch on Hatteras 



A leatherback turtle nest in Hatteras 

 Village — one of four such nests sited on our 

 coast this year — had 83 hatchlings burrow 

 out of the sand and head to the sea this 

 summer. 



Another three stragglers were found 

 and released after the nest was excavated a 

 few days later. The nest originally had held 

 99 eggs. 



"It's exciting," says Marcia Lyons, a 

 field biologist with the National Park Service. 



The endangered leatherback is the 

 largest sea turtle. Named for their soft backs, 

 rather than hard turtle shells, adult leather- 

 backs average more than six feet long and 

 weigh about 1 ,400 pounds. 



Lyons and Ruth Boettcher, the state's 

 sea turtle project coordinator, suspect that the 

 nests, laid about 10 days apart, were from the 

 same female — and likely the same 

 leatherback that nested in North Carolina in 

 1998, resulting in three "crawls." 



This year, two nests also were laid on 

 Ocracoke. One failed, and the other had no 

 sign of hatchling movement by mid- 

 September. A fourth nest, at Cape Lookout, 

 also failed. 



The Hatteras nest was of interest to 

 tourists all summer. Despite regular monitor- 

 ing, most of the original 83 hatchlings made it 

 out without human witness. The last one was 

 rescued from a ghost crab by a volunteer and 

 sent out to sea. 



"We had no idea how many days to 

 expect because we are so far out of the 

 normal range," says Lyons. The closest 

 established nesting areas for leatherbacks are 

 in Florida. 



The 1998 nests were considered a record 

 for the northernmost location for a successful 

 nest. Prior to that, hatchlings were seen on 

 Portsmouth Island in the 1 960s, but a nest 

 was never documented. 



A variety of organizations up and down 

 the North Carolina coast monitor sea turtle 

 activity, most often loggerhead turtles nesting. 

 If you would like to volunteer, contact 

 Boettcher, at 252/729-1359 for more 

 information. - K.M. 



Commercial 

 Fishing Show 



Moves to 



New Bern 



Want to see the latest in 

 fishing gear or technology? 



Then set your course to the 21 st 

 Annual North Carolina Commercial 

 Fishing Show to be held Feb. 24-25. 

 In 2001 , the show moves to the new 

 Riverfront Convention Center in 

 downtown New Bern. 



Sponsored by the North 

 Carolina Fisheries Association 

 (NCFA), the show will feature a 

 variety of vendors showing the latest 

 gear, engines and generators, 

 packaging, electronics, refrigeration, 

 and foul weather gear and boots. 



North Carolina Sea Grant will be 

 among the educational booths. Also 

 look for special programs for kids. 



For more information, contact 

 the NCFA at 252/633-2288. Online, 

 check www.ncfish.org. - K.M. 



COASTWATCH 3 



