Coastwatch 



Features 



Coastal Tidings 



The Point 



It's no wonder that hundreds of fishers squeeze shoulder to shoulder 

 at Cape Hatteras every autumn. For decades, folks have cast for a 

 bounty of fish from two hemispheres, which the Gulf Stream and a 

 Labrador Current sweep past this crook of sand. Some fishers at "the 

 Point" drive new sport utility vehicles. Others arrive in old trucks. 

 All love to fish 6 



Setting Sights on the Stars 



In today's electronic age, navigating is as easy as punching a couple 

 of buttons on a handy device. But machines can break. That's when 

 it's time to look skyward for help — and let celestial bodies guide 

 you to your destination 14 



Taking the Long View: Research Reaps Results in Time 



Science is not for the impatient or the shortsighted. Several Sea Grant 

 researchers face challenges as they spend years studying hybrid 

 striped bass, the Neuse River and marine habitats. But the results 



are worth the wait 18 



Cultivating a Different Kind of Crop 19 



Plumbing the Depths of Water Quality 20 



Getting to Know Blue Crabs ... Flexibility Required 22 



A Historian 's Coast: Nature Remembers 



Archaeologists dig for remnants of man's past and piece them 

 together to tell stories about ancient cultures. Paleoecologists like 

 Duke University's Sherri Cooper unearth the stories of nature's past 

 by examining the minutiae of sediment core samples 24 



The Catch: The Season for Stripers 



The Outer Banks is the place for striped bass fishing this fall. The 

 popular sport fish is just a cast away in the surf, but its population 

 hasn't always been as healthy as it is today 28 



Sea Science: Weathering Winds and Water — 

 Steps for a Storm-Resistant Home 



We all get a little antsy when meteorologists report a hurricane 

 forming deep in the Atlantic Ocean this time of year. There is nothing 

 we can do to change the course of a dangerous storm, but we can 

 prepare for it by building or retrofitting our homes according to 

 storm-resistant standards 31 



COASTWATCH 



