File:Coast watch (1979) (20472781260).jpg

Title: Coast watch
Identifier: coastwatch00uncs_16 (find matches)
Year: 1979 (1970s)
Authors: UNC Sea Grant College Program
Subjects: Marine resources; Oceanography; Coastal zone management; Coastal ecology
Publisher: (Raleigh, N. C. : UNC Sea Grant College Program)
Contributing Library: State Library of North Carolina
Digitizing Sponsor: North Carolina Digital Heritage Center

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ABOVE: A dynamic and complex coast presents a challenge to those charged with protecting important fish habitats. This image is after Hurricane Floyd. Photo courtesy ofSeawir-s/NASA High above Earth, a passing satellite blinks in recognition of North Carolina's unique geography: A line of barrier islands protects the mainland from the ocean's energy, channeling its flow through narrow inlets. Behind the barriers, irregular shorelines define a system of shallow sounds, bays and tidal creeks that are intricately tied to the ocean's will. Mighty rivers appear as threads connecting mountains to piedmont to coastal plain. Ultimately freshwater rivers empty into coastal and marine waters, creating nursery grounds for the state's important commercial and recreational fisheries, as well as species that migrate along the coast. But fish do not live by water alone. The water column swirls about a variety of underwater habitats that provide food and shelter necessary for spawning, breeding or growth for finfish and shellfish alike. The watery landscape includes ocean hard bottom, sand and mud bottoms, submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV), shell bottom, and freshwater and saltwater wetlands. Healthy habitats provide the basic founda- tion for healthy fisheries. It's that simple. However, rapid coastal development, degraded water quality, dredging, and the use of certain fishing gear, such as trawls, are cited as contribut- ing to both habitat loss and fishery declines. Though the passing satellite offers only a snapshot of the dynamic and complex coast, it provides enough detail to suggest that developing Coastal Habitat Protection Plans (CHPPs) could be a daunting task. Nevertheless, the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is overseeing efforts to devise strategies to protect and restore fish habitats for the long-term enhancement of coastal fisheries. When the North Carolina General Assembly passed the 1997 Fisheries Reform Act, legislators focused on ensuring healthy stocks, the recovery of depleted stocks, and the wise use of fisheries resources through fishery management plans as well as habitat protection plans. For starters, DENR and the Marine Fisheries Commission have been working with the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) to devise management plans for each significant commercial and recreational species. The process involves input from commercial fishing groups, seafood dealers, recreational anglers, scientists and interested citizens. Attention now is focused on the process of developing habitat plans that will enlist similar public involvement, beginning with a series of public meetings this summer at coastal and inland locations. MOVING AHEAD It's a job so big, that the law requires three commissions to do the heavy lifting — the Marine Fisheries Commission (MFC), the Environmental Management Commission (EMC) and the Coastal Resources Commission (CRC). An Intercommission Review Committee 16 HIGH SEASON 2003

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