File:Coast watch (1979) (20666584991).jpg

Title: Coast watch
Identifier: coastwatch00uncs_11 (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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Coastwatch Senior Editors: Daun Daemon Jeannie Fans Norris Designer: Linda Noble Marketing Coordinator: Elizabeth Burke Circulation Manager: Sandra Harris The North Carolina Sea Grant College Program is a federal/state program that promotes the wise use of our coastal and marine resources through research, extension and education. It joined the National Sea Grant College Network in 1970 as an institutional program. Six years later, it was designated a Sea Grant College. Today, North Carolina Sea Grant supports several research projects, a 12-member extension program and a communications staff. Ron Hodson is interim director. The program is funded by the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the state through the University of North Carolina. Coastwatch (ISSN 1068-784X) is published bimonthly, six times a year, for $15 by the North Carolina Sea Grant College Program, Box 8605, North Carolina State University. Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-8605. Telephone: 919/515-2454. Fax: 919/515-7095. E-mail: faris @unity.ncsu.edu or ddaemon@unity.ncsu.edu. World Wide Web address: www2.ncsu.edu/sea_grant/seagrant.html. Periodical Postage paid at Raleigh, N.C. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Coastwatch, North Carolina Sea Grant, Box 8605, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-8605. Front cover photo of sushi. Table of contents photo of "Mending Nets: Noonday Glare," a serigraph by Claude Howell. Printed on recycled paper. ® COASTAL TIDINGS Studying Bluefin Tuna Recreational fishers know that the waters off Cape Hatteras are a hot spot for bluefin tuna, which gather there from January till March. Scientists now see the area as a hot spot for research on the migratory patterns of the fish, which can live 30 years, exceed 10 feet in length and weigh up to 1,200 pounds. "Scien- tists are excited because the fish are here in such high numbers," says Jim Bahen, North Carolina Sea Grant marine extension agent Researchers believe that bluefin tuna in the Atlantic are divided into two families, but they do not know if the stocks intermingle. A team from Stanford University, the National Underwater Research Center, the Monterey Bay Aquarium and the National Marine Fisheries Service recently began studying bluefin tuna off Cape Hatteras Local charter boats and many recreational big-game anglers cooperated with the
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team and helped tag and release over 3,000 tuna in the 1996 season. The study's results may help managers decide whether North Carolina should establish a commer- cial bluefin fishery. Because the fish are so valuable — bringing as much as $30 a pound — strict regulations aim to keep stocks healthy. Currently, the federal government permits only recreational hook- and-line fishing for bluefin. Preliminary figures show that recreational bluefin tuna fishing has an annual $30 million to $40 million economic impact for Outer Banks towns, says Bahen, who organizes bluefin tuna workshops. Not only do charter boat companies reap the benefits, he notes, but local restaurants and hotels turn a large profit during a time of year when business was traditionally slow. Says Bahen, "A sleepy village on the Outer Banks has now become a world-class fishing spot." m In the Next Issue of Coastwatch At certain places on the North Carolina coast, history, culture, natural beauty and lore meet to transcend mere geography. Starting in the next issue of Coastwatch, a new series on these coastal landmarks, written by Eddie Nickens and photographed by Scott Taylor, shows the soul of the North Carolina coast. The first stop is at "The Hook," the sandy spit of Cape Lookout where humans and nature often seem at odds. Whaling history, fly-fishing, the birth of a national park, working a long-haul net — you'll cover it all. Future excursions will take you to "The Ditch" (the Intracoastal Waterway), "The Point" (Cape Hatteras), "The Stream" (the Gulf Stream), "The Inlet" (Oregon Inlet) and "The Reef (alongside the Outer Banks). Also in the next issue, Odile Fredericks explains how the Coastal Waters Heritage Tourism Council works to boost boating tourism with water trails to historic and cultural sites along the coast. In another article, Fredericks looks at a new state law that will allow coastal towns to build over public waters along their historic waterfronts. □ 2 WINTER I99H

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