File:Coast watch (1979) (20659643075).jpg

Title: Coast watch
Identifier: coastwatch00uncs_9 (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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Wentletraps With more than 1,000 species of mollusks, North Carolina probably has more shells to find than any other Atlantic state, says Hugh Porter, the state's resident "Mr. Seashell" and the curator of the shell collection at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Institute for Marine Science (IMS). In 1955, Porter was hired to study the ecology of oysters at IMS, then called the Institute of Fisheries Re- search. He became curious about the types of shells that could be found in our state's waters. "I saw specimens... being thrown away," says Porter, "and that sort of teed me off." Porter started keeping track of the shells he collected, and the IMS shell collection was born. "Now (my collection is) starting to pay off," he says. "People are starting to get interested in what we have in our waters and are coming to me to see what has been found." Although Porter has retired, he still has a part-time position at IMS keeping track of the myriad shells that people bring to the institute. North Carolina's coastal geogra- phy and currents are responsible for much of the state's shell diversity, says Porter. The cool Labrador current flows down from the north and heads seaward at Cape Hatteras, making the cape the southernmost point to find cool-water mollusks such as the common blue mussel and the Atlantic surf clam. Along the southern portion of our coast, the Gulf Stream brings creatures from warm, Caribbean waters. The current turns toward Europe when it reaches Cape Hatteras, forming the northern limit for many tropical mollusks such as the Scotch bonnet and calico scallop. Many Caribbean species require hardbottom habitats instead of the sandy bottoms found in the state's sounds and nearshore waters. Natural ledges and World War II shipwrecks provide this habitat with hideaways for breeding and shelter from predators. They are prime places for Anne Buddenhagen's underwater forays in search of exotic shells. 0 MARCH/APRIL J 996

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