Happy National Volunteer Week!
Thank you to all our volunteers across the state - we couldn't do our work without you! In 2018 alone, we had over 300 volunteers including 70 citizen scientists, totaling over 2,000 hours of service!
A year in review:
the work of the Coastal Reserve
Take a look at 2018 highlights from the education, training, research and stewardship programs.
Upcoming Events

Apr 11 & 13 : Terrapin Tally Training (Wilmington)



May 4 , 5 , 18 , & 19 : Terrapin Tally (Wilmington)

May 22 & 23 : Low impact development basics for water quality protection (Wanchese)




Save the date! Living Shorelines Tech Transfer Workshop Oct 8-9 (Beaufort)

Visit our event calendar for more information about upcoming events.
Get to know a reserve:
Permuda Island
Permuda Island Reserve is a narrow 63-acre island located in Stump Sound, between Topsail Island and the mainland. The reserve contains subtidal flats, tidal marshes, and shrub thickets. The interior of the site was used as farmland in the 1900s, but has now returned to a natural state. Notable species found on the island include painted bunting, box turtles, and copperhead snakes.

Archaeological evidence indicates that residents occupied the island as early as 300 B.C. Prehistoric Native Americans used marine resources from the waters surrounding the site and left thick deposits of shell middens. The earliest owner on record may have been John Baptista Ashe (1726).

Permuda Island can only be reached by a shallow-draft boat and visitors are encouraged to enjoy Permuda from the water, given the abundance of snakes and insects in the thick vegetation. Popular ways to enjoy the site are by kayak or stand-up paddleboard.
Masonboro Island Explorers enters its seventh year
Since 2013, the Masonboro Island Explorers program connects content learned in the classroom with hands-on experiences in the Reserve's living laboratory for every fifth grader in New Hanover County. The Reserve is excited to continue to partner with Masonboro.org, Carolina Ocean Studies, and New Hanover County Schools each year to implement this program.
Living storm protections:
How did Hurricane Florence and tropical storm Michael impact living shorelines
The Reserve and the Division of Coastal Management are monitoring constructed rock and oyster sills to assess the long-term performance and resilience of marsh sills in North Carolina. Monitoring results will be used to advise waterfront property owners, contractors and regulatory partners on the shoreline protection benefits, durability, and potential cost-effectiveness of marsh sills.
Staff Spotlight: Mackenzie Taggart
Since joining the Reserve last August as a Research Technician, Mackenzie Taggart has assisted on a variety of research projects ranging from water quality sampling to living shoreline monitoring. She often assists project leads by developing maps to aid in the spatial knowledge of a research site. Her current work includes collaboration on the deployment of sediment tiles to track changes in elevation and sediment accumulation behind experimental oyster reefs at the Rachel Carson Reserve, as well as a project to map and track the development of living shorelines.
Friends of the Reserve update
The Friends of the Reserve (FOR) is a nonprofit organization that supports the Reserve's education, research and stewardship programs through fundraising, advocacy, and public awareness. Meet the new board members and learn more about FOR's activities here .
Facebook Favorites
Over 75% of all fish and shellfish harvested in the country use estuaries as nurseries to find a safe place to eat and grow!

Why do you  #iHeartEstuaries ?
For the staff here at the North Carolina Coastal Reserve, the sight of feeding black skimmers means healthy estuaries, teaming with the juvenile fish that these birds need to survive and support the culture and economies of surrounding coastal communities.
In the news

Local schools clean up marine debris at the Rachel Carson Reserve

Reserve partners with the Town of Beaufort to tackle marine debris

House hunting for oysters

New Mapping Tool Identifies Sites for Re-establishing Oyster Reefs

Middle School Girls Gear up for Girls Exploring Science & Technology
The N.C. Coastal Reserve & National Estuarine Research Reserve is a program of the N.C. Division of Coastal Management, a division of the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality. The N.C. National Estuarine Research Reserve is managed through a federal-state partnership between NOAA and the N.C. Division of Coastal Management.

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