CELEBRATING A SI LVER YEAR 



In February, North Carolina Sea 

 Grant kicked off its 25th anniver- 

 sary year with a reception in 

 Raleigh. The following are excerpts 

 from comments that evening. 



LT. GOV. BEVERLY PERDUE 



Our marshes, swamps, 

 forests, lakes and rivers. Our 

 phenomenal estuarine system 

 and oceanfront. North 

 Carolina's coast is one of the 

 richest natural environments in 

 the world. 



Many of you know I am a 

 long-time resident of New Bern 

 in Craven County. My family — 

 my boys — have lived around 

 and in this environment their 

 entire lives. We have seen, first- 

 hand, the changes in our 

 coastal communities. 



In fact, my youngest son is 

 in school right now studying 

 environmental science. That is 

 what your work means to my 

 family — and to North Carolina. 



It is our future — and the 

 future of our state: water 

 quality, properly managed 

 fishery resources, coastal 

 tourism. 



Where else but Sea Grant 

 can you find the best scientists 

 in the country from the best 

 universities in the country 

 working with the best staffs in 

 the country to protect the true 

 value of the coastal resources 

 for the future of the best state in 

 the country? 



That is what it means to be 

 a part of Sea Grant, and I am 

 honored to be here with such a 

 group. 



I have long supported Sea 

 Grant and the goals that you 

 have set forth. And I know well 

 that Dr. Hodson and the rest of 

 you are the very best resources 

 we have when it comes to 

 questions on coastal issues. 



Your work to strengthen 

 the Fishery Resource Grant 

 Program. The Coastwatch 

 magazine you publish. The 

 reports I hear almost daily from 

 constituents that have worked 

 with you. These are just a few 

 examples of the very real impact 

 you have on the lives of North 

 Carolinians every day. 



So thank you, and keep up 

 the good work. 



With every passing 

 moment your work only 

 becomes more important. 



Please know that I am 

 always here for you in my role 

 as lieutenant governor — and 

 as someone who lives in North 

 Carolina and loves our coast. 



Your work is our future. 



RUSS LEA, VICE PRESIDENT 

 FOR RESEARCH, THE 

 UNIVERSITY OF NORTH 

 CAROLINA 



North Carolina possesses 

 the fifth longest ocean coastline 

 in the lower 48 states. 



This rich heritage and 

 wonderful natural resource 

 supports over 4,000 industries 

 that employ 62,000 workers or 

 2 percent of the state's 

 workforce. Over the last 1 years, 

 employment has jumped by 

 almost 50 percent and annual 

 compensation of this workforce 

 has more than doubled. 



With the recent opening of 

 the NC State University Center 



for Marine Sciences and 

 Technology (CMAST), the 

 impressive Myrtle Grove marine 

 science facility recently built at 

 UNC-Wilmington, the new 

 laboratory addition at the UNC- 

 CH Institute of Marine Science, 

 the existing ECU Institute for 

 Coastal and Marine Research, 

 the Duke Marine Lab and the 

 U.S. Dept. of Commerce/ 

 NOAA facilities, Army Corps of 

 Engineers facility at Duck AND 

 Sea Grant, we provide the 

 necessary horsepower for our 

 citizens to have access to an 

 academic nucleus for research, 

 development, new technologies 

 and engagement that is 

 unparalleled anywhere else in 

 the world. 



Sea Grant has obviously 

 been extremely inventive and 

 successful at leveraging this 

 unique academic nucleus. For 

 example: 



• There are hundreds of 

 researchers across the state 

 who have received competitively 

 reviewed Sea Grant research 

 funds; 



• Sea Grant extension 

 agents work all along the coast 

 linking with communities and 

 businesses; 



• Sea Grant has funded 

 hundreds of graduate students 

 who have contributed through 

 their studies and professional 

 activities to the welfare of North 

 Carolina citizens; and 



6 Sea Grant leverages its 

 professional network to 

 compete for millions of dollars 

 in competitive funds from 

 agencies such as the EPA, NSF, 

 US DA, NOAA, NASA, etc. 



Whether learning about 



the ecology of coral reefs, 

 identifying strains of Pfiesteria, 

 or helping to bridge marine 

 science with classroom 

 teachers from all over the U.S., 

 our Sea Grant program is on 

 call 24/7 to address the 

 urgencies of a state whose 

 location on the coast makes it 

 vulnerable to pressing issues — 

 such as beach nourishment, 

 drinking water supplies, 

 fisheries protection, aquacul- 

 ture, water quality, environ- 

 mental restoration, and many 

 others. 



SEA GRANT DIRECTOR 

 RONALD G. HODSON 



We are obviously proud of 

 the success of the North 

 Carolina Sea Grant College 

 Program — but I am here to say 

 that we are not content to rest 

 on our laurels. There are many 

 challenges that our coastal 

 communities, and the state as 

 a whole now face. 



We hope that all of you 

 will view Sea Grant as a catalyst 

 — opening doors to a better 

 future for unique coastal 

 ecosystems and communities. 

 Sea Grant is dedicated to 

 focusing the state's intellectual 

 resources — and drawing upon 

 the rich history and knowledge 

 in our coastal residents — to 

 tackle a variety of issues. For 

 example: 



• Unprecedented growth 

 has stressed some coastal 

 counties — while others seem 

 to have lost out on the state's 

 economic boom; 



• Once-abundant fisheries 

 appear to be declining, 

 sparking an overhaul of 



12 HIGH SEASON 200 J 



