Topics Related to Coastal Reserve

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s (NCDEQ) Division of Coastal Management (DCM) Coastal Reserve program and partners from the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (WRC), NC State Parks, Bald Head Island Conservancy, NC Audubon, NC Aquariums and National Park Service are recruiting volunteers to participate in the 2025 Terrapin Tally.

The N.C. Coastal Reserve and National Estuarine Research Reserve, a program of the Division of Coastal Management in the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality, in conjunction with the Old-Growth Forest Network, hosted a dedication ceremony for Bald Head Woods Reserve recognizing the site’s addition to the network in late January 2025. Staff and representatives from the Old-Growth Forest Network were joined by local, state, and community partners to celebrate on site with brief speeches and a guided hike through the woods.

The North Carolina Coastal Reserve & National Estuarine Research Reserve is thankful for John’s friendship and long-term unwavering service to the preservation and appreciation of North Carolina’s coastal natural resources. We are particularly grateful for his professional and volunteer work on Reserve sites, and to honor him, we would like to reflect on highlights of his years of work in these natural areas.

The N.C. Sea Grant and N.C. Coastal Reserve Coastal Research Fellowship funds student research at the North Carolina Coastal Reserve & National Estuarine Research Reserve. As a fellow, Madison’s research focused on the seagrasses within the Rachel Carson Reserve in Beaufort, NC. 

Spread the word! The North Carolina Coastal Reserve & National Estuarine Research Reserve has three internship positions open. Interested applicants can learn more about the Reserve on our website and our social media channels.

To learn more about the sea turtle monitoring that occurs on Masonboro Island Reserve, check out this resource: https://arcg.is/104vi10

MOREHEAD CITY – The N.C. Coastal Reserve and National Estuarine Research Reserve will hold fall local advisory committee meetings between November 8 - Nov. 20 for the following reserve sites. All meetings are open to the public.

From an eager biomedical engineering student at UNC-Chapel Hill who switched his studies to environmental science at the University of Montana - Western, Andrew McMains tells us how he found his passion and path to pursuing his PhD in fisheries science. With the NC Sea Grant and NC Coastal Reserve Coastal Research Fellowship, he’s researching the impacts of dredging on fish movement around the Rachel Carson Reserve using novel sampling methods.