Environmentally Speaking

Report identifies changes in plant life in North Carolina wetlands in the Coastal Plain

A report by North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality scientists and partners tracked changes in the types of plants growing in wetlands in the outer Coastal Plain of eastern North Carolina, finding gains in salt-tolerant species and losses of shrub and tree cover.

New mapping tool displays water quality data for Western North Carolina

A new mapping tool will help display water quality sampling findings collected through the Western N.C. Recreational Monitoring Program to help the public identify locations where E. coli levels are above and below recreational guidance values before swimming or boating.

Comparing oyster restoration methods and parasites as ecosystem indicators

Each year, North Carolina Sea Grant and the North Carolina Coastal Reserve & National Estuarine Research Reserve team up to award an NC graduate student the Coastal Research Fellowship. Grace Loonam, a Masters student with Drs. April Blakeslee and Rachel Gittman at East Carolina University, wrapped up her fellowship in May 2025 and shared her research and experience with us.

Explore North Carolina’s wetlands using free online tools

North Carolina has wetlands across the state – along the coast, in the mountains and in the Piedmont. The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality Division of Water Resources has an interactive map showcasing 240 different publicly accessible wetlands across the state. Along with the online map, DWR has launched a printable Wetlands Passport to help the public locate those wetlands and learn more about them.

7th Grade Students Show Their Air Quality Smarts in AQ-IQ Contest

For 20 years, North Carolina 7th grade students have been showing off their air quality knowledge in the annual AQ-IQ contest.

Asthma Resource Guide: Tools for Monitoring Air Quality 

Air pollution can make asthma worse, so it's important to be air aware.

Smoke in the Air! How DAQ Shares Information with the Public about Wildfires

In this blog post, we explore how wildfires start, how smoke affects our health, and how the Division of Air Quality keeps residents informed and safe.

Community Science Month: How to Participate

So, you want to be a scientist? What if I said you can, and that it’s easy?! I’m talking about participating in community science, regardless of age, background, or experience. Anyone, including you, can be a community scientist. 

Tracking Water Quality Where Fresh and Saltwater Meet

Jill Paxson and the DWR Estuarine Monitoring Team travel approximately 300 nautical miles of waterways in a month as they travel up and down streams, rivers and other waterways across the region to conduct sampling. Their domain extends to where the Chowan River empties into the Albemarle Sound, as well as where the Neuse and Pamlico rivers empties into the Pamlico Sound. They respond to harmful algal blooms and fish kills, and recently, even, a clam kill.

DWR’s Asheville Regional Offices launches water quality monitoring after Hurricane Helene

A water quality sampling effort launched in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene helped NCDEQ Division of Water Resources staff identify potential sources of contamination.

DWR biologists release preliminary analysis of Hurricane Helene’s impacts to insects in waterways

A preliminary assessment of insect communities in waterways of western North Carolina after Hurricane Helene demonstrated that in most waterbodies sampled, the variety of species as well as the number of each insect species was generally comparable to before the hurricane. It also identified a few waterways that had declines in the variety of insect species and abundances.

International Day of Women and Girls in Science

International Day of Women and Girls in Science was earlier this week and we want to take a moment to highlight some of the incredible women across our agency!

Field site students conduct research at the Rachel Carson Reserve in Beaufort for their capstone project.

Research was conducted on the east end of Carrot Island, one of five islands that make up the Rachel Carson Reserve. Experiments were conducted in the maritime forest, salt marsh, shorelines and on the living shoreline structure. (Photograph by Josh Himmelstein)

Marine Patrol Drone Helps Lawmen on the Ground Find Suspect Hiding in the Woods

Jan. 9 is Law Enforcement Appreciation Day, and we’re touting some of the feats of our N.C. Marine Patrol, part of DEQ’s Division of Marine Fisheries.

How do birds cope with extreme temperatures?

How do birds adjust to stay cool on 100-degree summer days? What about during the winter when it can reach below freezing? Juan Zuluaga is on a mission to find out.