F ROM THE EDITOR 



Best Wishes, Fond Farewells 



The year 2004 opened with more changes for 

 North Carolina Sea Grant. In late January, longtime 

 fisheries specialist Wayne Wescott retired, while 

 mariculture specialist Philip "Skip" Kemp moved to 

 a new position at Carteret Community College. 



A Dare County native, Wayne was given the 

 name "Smiley" as a youth — and it has stuck for 

 decades. 



For two decades, he focused on fisheries in 

 northeast North Carolina. He is likely best known 

 for his work with the soft-shell crab industry. Today, 

 our delicacy can be found on the menu at the finest 

 restaurants around the country. 



And the industry has boosted the economic 

 opportunities in coastal North Carolina. In 2002, 

 nearly 1.3 million pounds of peeler and soft-shell 

 blue crabs were harvested in the state, valued at 

 nearly $3.8 million. 



The green-stick tuna rig had been popular in Hawaii, but Wayne 

 brought the idea to the tuna fleet off the Outer Banks. Now the rig's colorful 

 "bird" is a common sight. 



In more recent years. Wayne's publication highlighting a "keyholing" 

 technique for finding clams has been quite popular. He offered workshops for 

 residents and visitors alike looking to find sweet Carolina clams. 



Wayne was honored by colleagues at the fall mid- Atlantic regional Sea 

 Grant meeting. 



Skip has studied shellfish aquaculture around the world, but he didn't 

 have to go far to find a new adventure. As CCC aquaculture program director, 

 his experience is benefiting students that he has met while working at the Sea 

 Grant office at the Center for Marine Science and Technology in Morehead 

 City. 



Wayne Wescott in early Sea Grant days. 



He also runs the CCC shellfish hatchery, 

 which soon will move to a new facility, as well 

 as two research sanctuaries. His efforts include 

 oyster restoration efforts with the Albemarle- 

 Pamlico National Estuary Program. He hopes to 

 reach out to schools and community groups. 



In his 18 years with Sea Grant Skip's 

 duties included mariculture and marketing. He 

 worked closely with the N.C. Shellfish Growers 

 Association and often led seminars at the annual 

 Aquaculture Development Conference on topics 

 such as the "chub" system of growing oysters 

 off-bottom. 



His marketing efforts included programs 

 that highlighted the unique flavors of shellfish 

 from different regions of the North Carolina 

 coast. 



A native of Wayne County, Skip says he 

 got an early start in aquaculture — working with his father's catfish operation. 



On a closing note, I share the sad news of the death of former North 

 Carolina Sea Grant specialist Rich Novak. Rich had been based at our Man- 

 teo office, but was known along our coast. 



Although he moved to Florida Sea Grant about six years ago, he re- 

 turned to North Carolina every winter to assist with the Tag-A-Giant program 

 to track bluefin tuna. Rich, 56, apparently suffered a heart attack while on one 

 of the tagging boats in late January. He had caught two tuna that day and had 

 another on the line. 



'People are saying he died doing what he loved," wrote Michael Heller, 

 editor of Water Life in Port Charlotte, Fla "That's true, but Rich loved all of 

 life — there was so much left to do." 



Katie Mosher, Managing Editor 



I N 



THIS 



S S U E 



Contributing Writers: 

 Ann Green c Lilly Loughner a Katie Mosher ° Pam Smith 



Contributing Photographers: 

 Elmer Eddy a Michael Halminski a Bill Hunt D Al Kish 

 Bill Lord ° Lilly Loughner ° Craig McDuffie n Peter Reitzfeld 

 Pam Smith ° Scott Taylor D Allen Weiss 



North Carolina 's diverse coast offers countless interesting subjects. 

 The large dots on the locator map indicate story settings in this issue — 

 including Dare and Carteret counties, and towns along the Neuse River. 



