FEATURES 



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COASTALTIDINGS 2 



A MILLION REASONS TO LOVE NORTH CAROLINA 

 Leaders around the state are rallying around the "One North Carolina 

 Naturally" banner to preserve natural resources that sustain life and liveli- 

 hoods. Pam Smith shares the program's goals — and the on-the-ground 

 results revealed in coastal preservation and restoration projects 6 



CRUISING INTO HISTORY: 



DISMAL SWAMP CANAL SCENIC, PEACEFUL 



Learn of the locks and lore of the Dismal Swamp as Ann Green takes 



readers on a picturesque cruise aboard the Bonny Blue. The trip from 



Elizabeth City, N.C., to Deep Creek, Va., highlights the canal's 



engineering and it's role in history 1 2 



COLLABORATIVE LEARNING: 



CRABBERS, SCIENTISTS, MANAGERS IMPROVE 



COMMUNICATION 



A Blue Crab Research Program project by North Carolina Sea Grant 

 fisheries specialist Sara Mirabilio provides insight into crab challenges 

 — harvests, management and research. Ann Green explains the project 

 and takes readers on a crabbing trip in the Currituck Sound 17 



SEA SCIENCE: 



Studying Soudiem Flounder 



How long do southern flounder stay in the ocean? Do they return to 

 estuaries every spring? Do males and females have similar behavior 

 patterns? Erin Seiling introduces three N.C. Fishery Resource Grant 

 research teams delving into these and more questions about one of the 

 state's most important fisheries 



22 



NATURALIST'S NOTEBOOK: 

 Beach Vitex: Kudzu of the Coast' 



As if hurricanes and shoreline erosion weren't enough, beaches in North 

 and South Carolina face a new threat: beach vitex. Kathleen Angione 

 examines how this invasive dune plant is creeping across the Carolinas 

 — and the efforts of a two-state task force to stop it 26 



Coastwatch I Spring 2006 I www.ncseagrunt.org 1 



