From the Fall 2025 issue of Coastwatch, our Guide to Coastal Living tackles stormwater runoff, its adverse effects, and what can be done to address this problem.

We've reached our #1 Coastwatch story of 2025: "Killer Whales Swim NC Waters!" Originally a post for our Hook, Line & Science blog after a killer whale was spotted off the coast of Kitty Hawk, read our top Coastwatch article of the year at go.ncsu.edu/killer-whales-nc

It's easy to see something online - especially on social media - and question if it's real or made using artificial intelligence (AI). But the technology has serious scientific applications, too, including in our #2 Coastwatch story of the year. Read more: go.ncsu.edu/deepfake-wha...

Happy #MarinersMenuMonday! We've got the perfect appetizer for your New Year's Eve parties and New Year's Day get-togethers: clams casino. Find this classic recipe at ncseagrant.ncsu.edu/mariners-men...

We've made it to our Top 3 Coastwatch stories of 2025, and at #3 is "New Sea Level Rise Projections for North Carolina." Read more about what to expect in terms of sea level rise and high-tide flooding days for three NC cities at go.ncsu.edu/nc-sea-level-rise

Apply by this Friday!

#4's "A Booming Industry — And a New Threat" details a cutting-edge project addressing “the biggest hindrance to sustainable oyster aquaculture development in the Southeast": unexplained and sudden mass oyster deaths. Read more about this NC Sea Grant-funded project at go.ncsu.edu/a-booming-industry

We're halfway through countdown of #Top10 Coastwatch stories of 2025 - #5 "Teachers on the Tower" follows a fully funded six day field-based experience at Frying Pan Tower for five educators from across North Carolina. Read about it + find the accompanying video: ncseagrant.ncsu.edu/coastwatch/w...

From all of us at North Carolina Sea Grant, we wish you and yours a happy holiday season!

From our Spring 2025 issue, #6 on our countdown is “Off the North Carolina Coast,” an exploration of unique creatures and geological features along the ocean floor. Read the full story at ncseagrant.ncsu.edu/coastwatch/s...

For this week’s Hook, Line & Science, we take a fun departure from fisheries science to explore a bit of food culture as food is a central, unifying part of the holidays! Hear from one of our fisheries specialists, Sara Mirabilio, on how her family celebrates with “Feast of the Seven Fishes.”

North Carolina is no stranger to extreme weather - to work and recreate safely, we need to be able to predict the weather. At #7 is "The Art and Science of Weather," from our current communications director, Rebecca Jones. Read more: ncseagrant.ncsu.edu/coastwatch/f...

Following Hurricane Helene, thousands hoped for any word of family and friends in western NC. At #8 on our list is "Accounting for the Unaccounted," written by our former communications director, Katie Mosher. Read about the urgent community response at ncseagrant.ncsu.edu/coastwatch/w...

Register Today - Limited Space - January 15, 2026 #2 of our Landscapes that Last Webinar Series The What, Why and How of Nature-Friendly Landscaping Register Here: ncsu.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

#9 in our countdown, "Will North Carolina's Blue Crabs Go Extinct?" is from our Summer 2025 issue of Coastwatch. Read more about the study at the center of this piece, it's key findings, and what's next at ncseagrant.ncsu.edu/coastwatch/s...

If you have spent much time bottom fishing off the Carolinas, you probably encountered a white grunt. But why do they live here, and how have their population numbers changed over time? Find out in our latest Hook, Line & Science post!

High winds can make driving dangerous. If driving during windy conditions, slow down and keep two hands on the wheel, avoid large trucks and trailers, and watch for downed tree branches, trees and power lines. Bridges and overpasses can be particularly dangerous. weather.gov/safety

We're celebrating our #Top10 Coastwatch stories of 2025 to reveal our top story of the year! Find our list at go.ncsu.edu/cw-most-popu... At #10 is "The 2024 NC Coastal Conference in Review," highlighting last year's insightful presentations + discussions about the future of NC's coast.

NCSU student Samantha Foresman participated in the Marsh Creek Watershed Litter Project, a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration–funded project examining how trash moves through urban waterways such as Raleigh’s Marsh Creek. Full story at www.nchealthnews.org

Thanks to @nchealthnews.bsky.social for featuring Ph.D. student Madison Haley's project to track trash that pollutes and turns into microplastics in our waterways! Learn more about the larger NC Sea Grant-funded project at ncseagrant.ncsu.edu/reducing-lit...

Happy #MarinersMenuMonday - today's recipe is for Crab Imperial! #DidYouKnow that female blue crabs spawn up to 3 million eggs at a time? 🦀

Sightings of orcas are extremely rare, and most occur in two seasons of the year...

This #WorkforceWednesday, we're spotlighting some talented students that presented at @cerfscience.bsky.social! Our funded opps provide students with the training + resources needed to enter the coastal workforce + address complex coastal issues. Learn more at go.ncsu.edu/student-funding-opps

Happy #MarinersMenuMonday! At the Aquaculture Leadership Academy in October, we were treated to this delicious clam and bell pepper pizza by students Ben, Chloe, and Nelson in Carteret Community College's aquaculture program. And special thanks to instructor Todd Gardner for sharing his recipe!

We, NC Space Grant, & NC Water Resources Research Institute work with researchers, extension team members, + our partners to share science about oceans, space exploration, and water resources. Apply before January 2: jobs.ncsu.edu/postings/224... Send questions to Rebecca Jones at [email protected]

“His purpose was not simply to catch snakes — he was trying to extend the range of some snake or another to the west of its known range in that part of the world, and to do so for The North Carolina Museum of Natural History.”

A new study from North Carolina Sea Grant’s first Coastal Resilience Team Competition winners shows that preserving inland areas may help prevent the decline of environmental benefits as open water claims coastal wetlands.

Happy #MarinersMenuMonday! It's the start of meteorological winter, which means we're in for colder weather and longer nights - make things more cozy with this tasty Shrimp Casserole dish! And be on the lookout for more holiday appetizer, entree, and side dishes to come!

I spy with my little eye... a humpback whale! From Nov.-Apr., humpbacks enter coastal NC waters, migrating from cooler feeding grounds to warmer, subtropical areas to breed + calve. Do they spy, with their LARGE eyes, us? Research says perhaps not. Learn more in this week's Hook, Line & Science!

Happy #MarinersMenuMonday! With the holidays on the horizon, incorporate seafood into your menu with this tasty Oyster Dressing with Thyme recipe!

"You lay awake and you think, Lord, when it storms, is that creek going to feed back up and be worse this time?"

This week's #WorkforceWednesday is spotlighting our very own Erika Young, NC Sea Grant's coastal and marine education specialist! Young may be headquartered in our Raleigh office, but you can find her all across the state, engaging K-12 students and teachers in STEM education outreach.

NC Sea Grant and @nhseagrant.bsky.social recently wrapped the year-long Aquaculture Leadership Academy, with field experiences in NH in April and more adventures in NC in October. Thank you to all of our partners who made it possible to share aquaculture knowledge across the Sea Grant network!

Happy #MarinersMenuMonday! This week's recipe for Broiled Oysters Rockefeller, the perfect appetizer or entree for a holiday celebration! #DYK that Oysters Rockefeller was created when the dish's founder substituted oysters due to a shortage of escargot?

We're now seeking proposals for our Community Collaborative Research Grant (CCRG) program! Apply by January 23, 2026 at 5pm! Read the news release: wrri.ncsu.edu/now-acceptin... Learn more about CCRG: wrri.ncsu.edu/funding/comm...

Applications are due Monday by 5pm!

Applications are due Monday by 5pm!

To understand this trend, scientists look at clues from times before and after the decrease began...

In this issue of Coastwatch, Julie Leibach of Duke's Nicholas School of the Environment details ongoing research to see if hyper-realistic videos and images called "deepfakes" can help scientists study species like the North Atlantic right whale. Read the full article at go.ncsu.edu/deepfake-whales

This Veterans Day, NC Sea Grant is thankful for our service members, past, present, and future. Our state is no stranger to military bases and installations, including Fort Macon on the coast. Did you know that, in 1936, Fort Macon became North Carolina's first functioning state park?

Happy #MarinersMenuMonday! This week's baked potatoes with striped bass stuffing recipe puts a fun seafood-spin on a comfort food classic! Check out the full recipe:

University of Maryland Extension seeks a Regional Watershed Specialist to lead outreach efforts that improve water quality across Maryland’s Lower Eastern Shore. They will provide community-based programs, technical assistance, and applied research. Master’s or PhD required: https://loom.ly/7x9rqtk

🌍 Join Our Team at Southeast Climate Adaptation Science Center! We are looking for our next **Assistant Consortium Director** 📍 Location: Raleigh, NC (on-campus at NC State) 📅 Application: Open until filled: https://loom.ly/wMn5vaU #climatejob #sciencejob #projectmanagement 🧪

This #WorkforceWednesday, we’re spotlighting Aaron Ramus, who served as our 2020 Coastal Research Fellow, one of our 2023 STEM Policy Fellows, and as a 2024 Knauss Fellow: “Through my Sea Grant fellowships, I received hands-on training at the intersection of science and policy."

Our current issue of Coastwatch highlights this past summer's community-engaged interns' experiences in their own words as their projects addressed the needs of coastal and Great Lakes states. Read the full piece below, and check out our short film on CEI: www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuTV...

Happy #MarinersMenuMonday! With the holiday season on the horizon, we're excited to share recipes over the next couple of months that would fit in at your family's dinner table - today's dish is a cornbread-oyster dressing!

Not the worst thing to find in your candy ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ #NCOysterMonth may be coming to an end, but you can enjoy fantastic oyster recipes from our very own Mariner's Menu at go.ncsu.edu/seagrant-oysters all year long! No tricks, only treats 😎

In urbanized areas, even the best water treatment systems cannot remove all pharmaceutical waste before reintroducing the treated water back into the environment...

For 20 years, Meghan Agresto, along with partner Luis Garcia, has been the keeper of the Currituck Beach Lighthouse — the only North Carolina lighthouse with an acting keeper and family. Read her story in our latest issue of Coastwatch...

Happy #MarinersMenuMonday! We're coming to an end of #NationalSeafoodMonth but also approaching Halloween, so what better way to celebrate both than with this 👻spooky👻 recipe for crab dip, fitted inside a 🎃jack-o-lantern🎃? How have YOU celebrated #NationalSeafoodMonth? Let us know in the comments!