COASTAL 



TIDINGS 



Spring EstuaryLIVE Scheduled 



"Tea 



I eachers interested in taking a field trip this 

 spring won't even have to leave their classrooms. 



On May 2-4, the North Carolina National 

 Estuarine Research Reserve will offer free, inter- 

 active, online field trips through EstuaryLIVE. To 

 participate, teachers only need Internet access 

 and the free version of Real Player software. 

 Two or three virtual field trips are offered 



ABOVE: During EstuaryLIVE, students, teachers and others 

 can ask questions that will be answered live from the field. 



each day during the three-day event. Teachers 

 are asked to use one computer per classroom 

 — to minimize traffic on the site. Classes also are 

 encouraged to sign up in advance. This helps the 

 hosts prepare for the audience and encourages 

 interaction between all participants. 



During the programs, teachers can type 

 questions to the field, which will then be 

 answered — live! 



Of course, you don't have 

 to be a teacher or a student to 

 learn something new. Everyone 

 who is interested is welcome 

 to participate — simply sign up 

 online. 



Topics will include: basic 

 invertebrate classification, 

 horseshoe crabs, historical 

 duck decoys, dredging/ coastal 

 geology, invasive species, coastal 

 habitats, and everyone's favorite 

 — blue crabs with Duke University 

 researcher "Dr. Dan" Rittschoff. 



Additional topics will be 

 added, so check the Web site 

 often: www.estuarylive.org. — E.S. 



Ecosystem-Based Management 

 Conference Set in March 



The 



I he Coastal Conference on Ecosystem- 

 Based Approaches to Management will be held 

 March 19-21 at the Holiday Inn Sunspree in 

 Wrightsville Beach. 



The conference will focus on marine 

 science issues related to the Southeast Shelf 

 Regional Ecosystem. Identifying key technical 

 issues and regional priorities — as well as 

 defining the geographic scale and scope of the 

 issues — are among the conference's goals. 



Topics will include fisheries and protected 

 species; coastal habitats and pollution; and 

 connections between ecosystems and human 

 health. Other topics include socio-economic 

 impacts, water supply and water flow. 



Speakers represent various state, regional 

 and federal agencies and organizations, including 

 the U.S. Department of Interior, the National 



Ocean Service, the South Atlantic Marine 

 Fisheries Management Council, the National 

 Science Foundation and the Coastal States 

 Organization, as well as the N.C. Department 

 of Environment and Natural Resources and the 

 S.C. Department of Natural Resources. 



Sponsors include the University of 

 North Carolina at Wilmington, the National 

 Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 

 the College of Charleston, the N.C. Clean 

 Water Management Trust Fund, The Nature 

 Conservancy and North Carolina Sea Grant. 



Registration is $75. Limited scholarships 

 are available. For information, contact Lynne 

 Goodspeed at 910/962-7261. 



If you are interested in enrolling or need 

 more information about the conference visit: 

 www. uncw. edu/ecosystemconference. — J . H . 



Fisheries Forum 

 March 14 in New Bern 



On March 14, North Carolina Sea 

 Grant and the N.C. Division of Marine 

 Fisheries (DMF) will host a Fisheries Forum 

 at the New Bern Riverfront Convention 

 Center. 



The daylong event will begin with 

 presentations from several researchers 

 that have participated in the state's Blue 

 Crab Research Program and Fishery 

 Resource Grant Program. FRG and Blue 

 Crab research projects are funded by the 

 North Carolina General Assembly and 

 administered by North Carolina Sea Grant. 



The project results are used by DMF 

 and other agencies to better manage the 

 fishery resources of the state. Results also 

 benefit fishers and other stakeholders in 

 the seafood industry by introducing new 

 gear, methods and technologies that can be 

 readily applied within the industry. 



During lunch, posters highlighting the 

 results of other significant FRG and Blue 

 Crab research will be on display around the 

 convention center. 



The afternoon session will feature a 

 discussion led by the N.C. Marine Fisheries 

 Commission on public perception of fishery 

 management. DMF also will review the new 

 recreational saltwater license and solicit 

 ideas for the expenditure of revenue earned 

 by sales of the license. 



Members of the public should 

 contact North Carolina Sea Grant to 

 register. Call 91 9/51 5-2454. There is no 

 cost to attend, but an accurate count is 

 needed to prepare for the event. 



-E.S. 



Coasrwatch I Spring 2006 I www.ncseagrant.org 3 



