COASTAL 



TIDINGS 



Study Finds Seafood 

 Not Harmed by Pfiesteria 



North Carolina Sea Grant scientists 

 have found that seafood exposed to 

 Pfiesteria is safe for consumers to eat. 



In a three-year study offish from the 

 New and Neuse rivers in Eastern North 

 Carolina, researchers found no link 

 between harmful effects of Pfiesteria — a 

 tiny marine organism associated with fish 

 kills and health problems in those who 

 work the waters — and seafood con- 

 sumption. 



"There is no evidence supporting the 

 uptake of potentially toxic substances 

 from Pfiesteria," says North Carolina Sea 

 Grant researcher Dave Green, who is an 

 associate professor of food science at 

 North Carolina State University and 

 director of the Center for Marine Sciences 

 and Technology in Morehead City. "Our 

 studies found no harmful link between 



fish exposed to potentially toxic 

 compounds produced by Pfiesteria and 

 the edible tissues of seafood." 



Green collaborated on the study 

 with NC State toxicologist Patricia 

 McClellan-Green, NC State veterinary 

 immunologist Edward Noga, and 

 former NC State graduate research 

 assistant Erica Balmer Hanchey. 



The Sea Grant researchers sampled 

 edible tissues from nonexposed fish and 

 fish environmentally exposed to 

 Pfiesteria, including menhaden, southern 

 flounder, spot, croaker, mullet and 

 bluefish. 'The only species found to 

 have a toxic effect was menhaden — 

 primarily menhaden with open sores," 

 says McClellan-Green, adjunct research 

 assistant professor at Duke University 

 Marine Lab. — A.G. 



Celebrate Paddling in North Carolina 



In North Carolina, you can 



navigate more than 1 ,200 miles 

 of coastal paddling trails. 

 Celebrate paddling 

 these waterways and 

 learn more about the 

 potential of the state's 

 coastal ecotourism at 

 Coastal Plain Waters 

 2001. The three-day event 

 will be held from March 30 

 to April 1 in Washington. 

 Hosted by the North Carolina 

 Coastal Plains Paddling Initiative (NCCPPI), the conference includes paddling field trips, 

 academic presentations and panels of experts from business and government. 



The conference is sponsored by Confluence Watersports Company, North Carolina 

 Sea Grant, Partnership for the Sounds, N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation, North 

 Carolina State University's Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management, 

 and the Mid-East Resource Conservation and Development Council, Inc. 



Registration forms are available on the Web: www. coastalwaters2001 .ecu.edu/ . 

 For more information, contact Lundie Spence, 919/515-3012, lundie_spence@ncsu.edu; 

 or Chris Siderelis, 919/5 15- 1700, chhs_siderelis@ncsu.edu. - A.G. 



North Carolina Big Sweep 

 2000 had a record number of 

 volunteers at this year's cleanup. 



In September, 14,789 volunteers 

 scoured North Carolina's beaches, 

 sounds and waterways, beating out 

 the previous 1997 record of 14,456 

 volunteers. 



"We are excited about the 

 record number of volunteers," says 

 Big Sweep president Judy Bolin. "The 

 weather was perfect. More people 

 are accepting their responsibility to 

 take care of North Carolina's 

 waterways." 



The volunteers in 100 North 

 Carolina counties picked up more 

 than 257 tons of trash — from 

 shopping carts and motor parts to a 

 baby pool and diapers. 



Big Sweep was launched in 1 987 

 by North Carolina Sea Grant marine 

 education specialist Lundie Spence. 

 The first year saw 1 ,000 volunteers 

 gather 14 tons of trash. 



For general information about 

 Big Sweep 2001 , contact the state 

 headquarters at 91 9/404-1 600. - A.G. 



COASTWATCH 5 



