COASTAL 



TIDINGS 



NOAA Satellites Save Lives 



I n 2003, National Oceanic and Atmo- 

 spheric Administration satellites, with sophisti- 

 cated search and rescue technologies, brought 

 224 people to safety from dangerous situations. 



That same year, the Personal Locator Bea- 

 con (PLB) debuted in the United States. Hand- 

 held devices tested in Alaska, PLBs are credited 

 with saving more than 200 lives since 1 994. 



NOAA officials say that PLB use opens the 

 way for faster, more accurate search and rescue 

 missions, especially for people who recreate in 

 rugged, remote areas. 



NOAA satellites, along with Russia's 

 Cospas satellites, are part of an international 

 Search and Rescue Satellite-Aided Tracking 

 system called COSPAS-SARSAT. The system 

 employs a cluster of satellites in geostationary 

 and polar orbits to detect and locate distress 

 signals from emergency beacons onboard 

 aircraft and boats and from PLBs. 



Since the system became operational 

 in 1 982, nearly 1 7,000 lives have been saved 

 worldwide, including more than 4,600 in the 

 United States. - P.S. 



UNC-W Ocean Observing Program 



Mon 



Receives $1.2 Mil 



Th, 



I he University of North Carolina at Wilmington was awarded $1 .2 million for its Coastal 

 Ocean Research and Monitoring Program. 



The program provides an interdisciplinary science-based framework that supports public policy 

 for coastal use, sustainable fisheries and improved coastal ocean ecosystem health. 



UNC-W is one of 1 6 universities in 1 6 states receiving research grants from the National Oceanic 

 and Atmospheric Administration's Coastal Services Center. The grants aim to promote the develop- 

 ment or expansion of regional coastal ocean observation systems. 



The Coastal Services Center provides integrated global leadership in the management of oceans. 



-P.S. 



Save Those Oyster Shells 

 for the Next Generation 



A 



Down East oyster roast can give a heap 

 of eating pleasure — and a heap of oyster shells. 



The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries 

 (DMF) has launched the North Carolina Oyster 

 Shell Recycling Program that targets two environ- 

 mental challenges — creating habitat for future 

 oyster stocks and unburdening local landfills. 



Plans are under way to place special bins 

 at landfills and designated drop off sites. The 

 filled bins will be transported to DMF stockpile 

 locations for aging. Aged shells that do not pose 

 any threat of contamination will be placed on one 

 of several DMF-sanctioned oyster restoration 

 research sites. 



By pooling shell resources, DMF officials 

 say, researchers and scientists can construct large 

 reefs in prime oyster growing areas to enhance 

 oyster productivity — and provide hook and line 



fishing opportunities to the public. 



Baby oysters begin life as free-floating 

 organisms, and settle on hard surfaces. Their 

 favorite and most productive place to grow is on 

 other shells. A mound of oysters in brackish water 

 attracts a multitude of marine organisms — and 

 provides ideal grazing sites for native fisheries. 



Civic clubs and businesses are encouraged 

 to volunteer to help maintain collection sites. 



Church groups, community organizations 

 and individuals are urged to plan ahead for their 

 next oyster roast. Contact DMF to arrange for a 

 trailer to be transported to the roast to collect the 

 shells. 



For information, visit the DMF web site, 

 www.ncfisheries.net and click on shellfish 

 recycling. Or contact Craig Hardy at craig. 

 hardy@ncma.il or 800/682-2632. - P.S. 



Stewards of the White Oak River Basin vow to 

 clean up Sugarloaf Island — and keep it that way. 



TalkmgTrash 

 onfhe 



White Oak 



The Stewards of the White Oak 

 River Basin are committed to cleaning up 

 Sugarloaf Island, a city-owned sand spit 

 across from downtown Morehead City. 



Their first foray to the island yielded 

 mounds of cans, bottles and other debris, 

 which they transported to the mainland in 

 an armada of canoes and kayaks. 



Led by Elmer Eddy, the self- 

 proclaimed "White OakTrashman," a 

 handful of stalwart stewards continue to 

 brave wintry weather to carry out their 

 pledge. 



"There is 50 years of trash out there. 

 It'll take a lot of work," says Eddy, who 

 was profiled in the Early Summer 2003 

 edition of Coastwatch. 



To continue their weekly effort, the 

 stewards are seeking volunteers who have 

 motorboats to help meet the ambitious 

 goal of "cleaning up the whole White 

 Oak River Basin, including Sugarloaf." 



Those interested in volunteering 

 should call Eddy at 91 0/389-4588, or 

 e-mail him a.teeddy@ec.rr.com. 



-P.S. 



COASTWATCH 5 



