SEA 



SCIENCE 



of the sounds focused near 

 established towns such as 

 Jacksonville and New Bem. 



But tiny communities 

 all along the inner coast now 

 are experiencing burgeoning 

 population levels as well. 



From looking at the maps, 

 the researchers have noticed 

 that a lot of forested areas 

 have been cut and converted to 

 agricultural operations or housing 

 developments. 



"But the wedand areas 

 historically have a little more 

 protection," says Brinson. The 

 federal Clean Water Act allows 

 forest cutting in wetland areas, he explains. 

 But, other activities, such as development, are 

 restricted and cannot proceed without proper 

 permits from federal and state agencies. In 

 many cases, the permit processes and mitigation 

 requirements dissuade building in these areas. 



In the Pamlico and Neuse River 

 watersheds. North Carolina law requires riparian 

 buffer zones to be left intact around rivers and 

 streams when land is being developed. These 

 vegetated areas help filter runoff and pollutants 

 and provide habitat for aquatic species. 



Even with wetland regulations and 

 buffer rules in place, researchers are concerned 

 that upstream development — in areas like 

 Whichard*s Beach — potentially could harm 

 primary nursery areas. 



North Carolina restricts human activities 

 in these areas, but most of the protection focuses 

 on activities in the water, cautions West, the 

 zoologist. Little consideration has been given 

 to land-based activities, such as upstream 

 development, that may adversely impact these 

 fragile ecosystems, he adds. 



How juvenile crabs fare in the nursery 

 areas has a significant affect on the fishery 

 in later years, says Marc Turano, blue crab 

 specialist at North Carolina Sea Grant. The 

 survival of juvenile crabs direcdy translates into 

 how many adult crabs are available for crabbers 

 to catch, he explains. 



Luczkovich references a study conducted 

 in the Chesapeake Bay that pointed to 

 development as a contributing factor in the 

 decline of the Bay's famous blue crab fishery. 



ABOVE: Joe Luczkovich (left) and Greg Meyer (right) 

 explain the computerized LANDSAT images. 



Research by Smithsonian scientists indicated 

 that blue crab stocks in the Bay declined where 

 land development was the greatest As the supply 

 of blue crabs from the Chesapeake Bay dwindled, 

 the demand for blue crabs from other areas 

 — such as North Carolina — rose. 



Blue crab stocks here may suffer similar 

 consequences, warns Luczkovich. 



"And then where will we get crabs?" 



DEVELOPING A RESPONSE 



Luczkovich's research team will provide 

 the results of the study to DMF to help guide the 

 implementation of the North Carolina Coastal 

 Habitat Protection Plan (CHPP). 



The CHPP idea began in 1997, when the 

 N.C. General Assembly recognized that pressures 

 from development habitat loss, pollution and 

 degraded water quality threatened not only the 

 fishing industry, but also, "a way of life and the 

 very character of North Carolina's coastal region." 



The Marine Fisheries Commission identified 

 the need to designate strategic habitat areas in 

 1998. Such areas "provide exceptional functions 

 that are particularly at risk due to imminent 

 threats, vulnerability or rarity." These areas merit 

 special attention and should be given high priority 

 for conservation, according to the CHPP, adopted 

 in 2004. 



One of the plan's recommendations is to 

 assess the effects of land use and human activities 

 on strategic habitats. That makes Luczkovich's 

 research not only timely, but also integral in 

 designating such areas, says Scott Chappell, a 

 DMF marine biologist. 



"It will tell us what effect 

 land use really has. and will help 

 us identify habitat areas that could 

 be better protected," says Chappell, 

 who will help to implement the 

 CHPP. 



But knowing the 

 consequences of land-use won't 

 stop the desire for development in 

 places like the Inner Banks. 



To help manage growth, 

 Luczkovich suggests a public 

 education campaign to raise and 

 explore questions like: 



"Can we develop areas 

 without causing runoff and excess 

 nutrients to flow seaward?" 

 "What can each person do differendy in his 

 own backyard?" 



"What can cities and counties do differendy 

 to allow development to proceed without causing 

 increased sedimentation and nutrient runoff?" 



He says coastal development is such an 

 important topic that it should be discussed in 

 classrooms and at dinner tables. 



Luczkovich also hopes that contractors 

 and developers will participate in the public 

 discussions. People are drawn to the coast of 

 North Carolina for its bountiful natural resources 

 — fish, crabs, birds, the beautiful scenery. These 

 are things that should be preserved to maintain 

 the lure of coastal living, he argues. 



It is actually in the interest of developers 

 to keep the coast as natural as possible, he adds, 

 offering the following advice: 



"Don't pave up to the waters edge, leave 

 some forest and green when planning a develop- 

 ment. Plant native species, consider wedand 

 restoration and submerged aquatic vegetation 

 mitigation as amenities that people can use." 



By starting a conversation about coastal 

 development now, perhaps the next 10-year map 

 Meyer produces will show a balance of "red" 

 and "green" areas supporting healthy blue crab 

 populations. □ 



Luczkovich's team will continue their work this 

 year by examining how development is affecting fin fish. 

 The project will be funded by an N. C. Fishery Resource 

 Grant (FRG). To learn more about the FRG program, 

 visit the Norm Carolina Sea Grant Web site at www. 

 ncseagrant.org. 



26 Coastwatch I Early Summer 2006 I www.ncseagrant.org 



