File:Coast watch (1979) (20474352919).jpg

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Bird Island, North Carolina: TOP: Scientists and volunteers gathered on a hot summer day to plant seabeach amaranth. MIDDLE: Rachel Brown, front left, and Kristen Rosenfeld show volunteers the proper way to plant seabeach amaranth. BOTTOM: John Taggart uses post-hole diggers to make a hole for a new plant.

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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SEA SCIENCE The island is a critical habitat for a variety of plants and animals. Both sea oats and wax myrtle grow on the island. Also, threatened loggerhead sea turtles, threatened piping plovers, endangered wood starks and black skimmers — a state species of special concern — are found on the island. "Mad Inlet used to separate Bird Island from Sunset Beach until 1997," saysJohnTaggart, director of the N.C. Coastal Reserve Program. "The closed inlet area is dynamic and serves as a good potential nesting habitat for colonial waterbirds. Histoncally, portions of the island hosted lots of terns and skimmers, but predation and disturbance by foxes and other animals have greatly reduced nesting success. However, we will protect the former inlet area to encourage nestings." Because Bird Island is on the southern part of the coast and is oriented east-west, it has different dynamics than bamer islands that are oriented north-south. This area is accreting sand in comparison to Masonboro Island, a reserve near Wilmington, which is eroding. The acquisition ensures that more than 1,000 acres of wetlands and tidal marshes will be protected, providing a buffer for primary nursery areas for fish, addsTaggart. Before the island was purchased, it was subject to significant development pressures. Brunswick County is one of the fastest-growing counties on the coast. Although state regulations control development of coastal wetlands, some filling and shading of the wetlands is allowed when necessary for shoreline stabilization or dock construction associated with upland development, according to Taggart. The island purchase ensures protection of 1.2 miles of ocean shoreline and 1.5 miles of shoreline on the sound side of the island. Preservation of the shoreline will help prevent further degradation of surrounding waters, says Taggart. ROLE OF DUNE PLANTS At Bird Island and other beaches, dune plants play an important role in the coastal ecosystem. "Plants trap blowing sand, causing the formation of sand dunes and the stabilization of barrier island soils," according to The Dune Book, published by North Carolina Sea Grant. "As the dune field grows, multiple dunes line the beach, providing habitat for animals, birds, amphibians and reptiles." In the summer of 2003, nearly 20 scientists and volunteers planted seabeach amaranth — a federally threatened species — near TOP: Scientists and volunteers gathered on a hot summer day to plant seabeach amaranth. MIDDLE: Rachel Brown, front left, and Kristen Rosenfeld show volunteers the proper way to plant seabeach amaranth. BOTTOM: John Taggart uses post-hole diggers to make a hole for a new plant.

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