table of contents 



Features 



Page 10 



Page 14 



Oriental: Small-Town Charm 

 and Smooth Sailing 



At the end of N.C. 55 in Pamlico County lies a small 

 community of shady streets, a few seafood packing plants and 

 more than 2,000 sailboats. Billing itself as "The Sailing Capital 

 of the Carolinas," Oriental looks over the Neuse River where 

 it flows into the Pamlico Sound. Although people come for 

 the sailing, they often stay for the town's easygoing attitude 

 and laid-back style 2 



High-Tech Tools Track River's Health 



North Carolina's coastal rivers are teeming with nutrients 

 that wash off the land and pour from waste treatment and 

 industrial discharge pipes. This overabundance of nutrients 

 sometimes triggers the growth of nuisance algae and harmful 

 dinoflagellates downstream. Sea Grant researchers Hans Paerl 

 and James Pinckney are using high-tech tools to study these 

 algal blooms, the nutrients that spur their growth and the 

 effects of the algae on the coastal ecosystem 10 



Best Bets for Saltwater Fishing 



Each year, thousands of recreational fishermen try their luck 

 in North Carolina's estuaries and coastal waters. Some track a 

 particular species; some pursue world records; some are catching 

 dinner. They use simple bait and tackle, charter boats outfitted 

 with high-tech equipment and a variety of techniques. This 

 summer, Coastwatch outlines what North Carolina fishermen 

 have in common — 12 species most likely to be found at 

 the end of the line 14 



Great Grills of Fire 



Fire up the grill. It's summer. And there's nothing that 

 tastes better than grilled seafood. Hot coals cook fish and 

 shellfish quickly, lightly searing the outside while the interior 

 remains tender and juicy. To get into gear 

 for grilling, Joyce Taylor, Sea Grant's 

 seafood education agent, offers tips and 

 recipes. So turn up the heat and turn on 

 the sizzle 



18 



Life at the Waterworks 



Close to 50 varieties of freshwater wetlands can 

 be found within North Carolina's borders. Some are 

 swampy and easy to identify; others are soggy at best and 

 even dry during parts of the year. Their differences aside, 

 each wetland type performs important natural functions — 

 cleansing nearby waters, controlling flooding or providing 

 habitat for many of the state's endangered and threatened 

 species. A new exhibit at the N.C. State Museum of Natural 

 Sciences explores the differences and functions of six types 

 of freshwater wetlands 21 



Departments 



AUG 15 1995 



Aft Deck 



24 



COASTWATCH 1 



