table of contents 



Features 



Page 2 



Page 10 



Masonboro Island: An Undisturbed Legacy 



A stone's throw from the urban stretches of Wrightsville and 

 Carolina beaches, Masonboro Island has remained in untouched 

 splendor for years. When landowners considered development in 

 1983, the Society for Masonboro Island and the state Division of 

 Coastal Management stepped in to preserve Masonboro Island as 

 part of the N.C. National Estuarine Research Reserve system. 

 Staff writer Rachel Wharton explores the past, present and future 

 of this popular New Hanover County island 2 



Trashing Bad Habits: 



A First-Person Account of Eco-Sins and Redemption 



Staff writer Jeannie Faris is of a generation raised on 

 convenience packaging — people who can toss trash into the can 

 without a twinge of conscience. But this throwaway lifestyle is 

 coming under fire by a national campaign that urges consumers 

 to reduce their wastes and reuse what they can. Faris describes 

 turning the comer, learning to precycle, recycle and compost as 

 alternatives to sending garbage to the landfill and incinerator. 1 



Earth Day: Roots of the Green Movement 



Earth Day is poised to celebrate its 25th anniversary on April 

 22. It might surprise you to learn how it got its start 17 



The Choreography of the Tides 



Twice a day in North Carolina, the ocean's edge takes a bow 

 at the dunes and retreats again. What's behind this mysterious 

 cycle of the tides? The moon, the sun, the Earth and a lot of 

 intricate movement 18 



The Osprey: A Bird's-Eye View 



One of North Carolina's most impressive raptors — the 

 osprey — will appear soon at area lakes, streams and beaches. 

 Learn more about the famous "fish hawk" and the areas where it 

 can be spotted 20 



Taking the Plunge: 



Sea Grant Studies the State's Commercial Fishing Industry 



Sea Grant has embarked on a landmark project to examine 

 North Carolina's fishing industry. Hanging in the balance is the 

 state's seafood industry and the fresh fish that ends up on your 

 dinner table 22 



Departments 



Page 22 



Aft Deck 



24 



COASTWATCH 1 



