COASTAL 



TIDINGS 



Citizen Research 



How does the shape of an artificial 

 reef attract fish important to recreational 

 and commercial fishers? Can a biode- 

 gradable latch in crab pots save crusta- 

 ceans that crawl into lost or abandoned 

 gear? Can bycatch reduction devices in 

 commercial fishing gear be improved? 



These are just a few of the questions 

 North Carolinians have asked them- 

 selves about improving the state's 

 fisheries resources. And they're a 

 handful of the projects that have been 

 funded for research through the Fishery 

 Resource Grant Program. 



This year, 59 qualified applications 

 will be considered for a share of $ 1 



million available. The program, granted 

 once a year by the legislature, funds 

 qualified research ideas from people in 

 the fishing industries. To be eligible, 

 applicants must be involved in (or have 

 the endorsement of individuals/ 

 companies that deal with) commercial 

 or recreational fishing, aquaculture or 

 mariculture, or seafood handling 

 (seafood processors or dealers). 



As the program enters its fourth 

 year, research results from projects 

 funded in 1995 and 1996 are beginning 

 to come in. Coastwatch will share the 

 outcomes of this citizen research as they 

 become available. — J.N. n 



Eating Like A Bird 



Birds on the beach are always eating. They run, dart, peck and probe as they 

 seek their next meal of beach fleas, sand crabs, worms and other invertebrates. 



Like their feathered relatives, shorebirds have a high metabolic rate, requiring 

 lots of energy to fly and to maintain a steady internal temperature of 101 F. To fuel 

 their energy needs, birds must eat almost constantly. Scientists estimate that plovers 

 eat 33 percent of their body weight every day. Smaller sandpipers must consume 55 

 percent of their body weight daily. Translated to humans, a 1 30-pound woman would 

 have to eat 71.5 pounds of meat a day to rival a bird's consumption. — K.H. □ 



Sea Horse 

 Populations 

 in Danger 



The whimsical-looking sea horse 

 has long captured the fancy of writers 

 in stories of fantasy. Unfortunately, the 

 horsey sea creatures also have captured the interest 

 of international traders, who harvest them as a key 

 ingredient for Asian folk medicines. 



Sea horses have been placed on the threatened 

 list by an international conservation organization. 

 They are vulnerable because they live primarily in 

 one habitat — grass beds — where they are easy 

 prey for traders. Sea horses pair off for life 

 (the male carries the young during gestation) 

 and, like mammals, have only a few offspring 

 that they nurture until grown. — K.H. □ 



Mariculture 

 Demonstration 

 Project 



North Carolina Sea Grant 

 is a university program that brings 

 the best in research, education and 

 advice to the coast, finding answers 

 for today's tough problems and 

 anticipating tomorrow's needs. 

 With an emphasis on cooperation, 

 Sea Grant draws together resources 

 and talents for projects such as 

 the mariculture demonstration at 

 Carteret Community College. 



This project trains the next 

 generation of shellfish and finfish 

 growers through continuing 

 education classes, and it serves 

 as a mariculture research site for 

 Sea Grant. The focus on teaching 

 and testing ultimately benefits 

 the industry and consumers by 

 producing a cadre of talented 

 mariculturists as well as innova- 

 tions in growing shellfish and 

 finfish. 



Funded through the General 

 Assembly's Fishery Resource 

 Grant Program, this mariculture 

 project has support from Sea 

 Grant and the community college. 

 And it's the first step toward 

 fulfilling a cooperative contract 

 between Carteret Community 

 College and NC State University's 

 Center for Marine Science and 

 Technology. —J.N. □ 



COASTWATCH 5 



