North Carolina Coastal Federation

North Carolina Coastal Federation Member supported nonprofit organization founded in 1982 30 staff and 30 board members Cover 20 coastal counties Three offices

Coastal Review Online Free, daily news service NC Press Association member www.coastalreview.org Google Classroom Link! We also inform others through Coastal Review Online (CRO), a daily, not-for-profit, news and feature service covering the N.C. coast. A member of the N.C. Press Association, CRO is a highly-valued public information resource for coastal issues. Written by professional journalists, CRO covers both sides of the issue and strives to meet the highest standards of fairness and accuracy. CRO’s approach holds strongly to the belief that if you give the public the facts; they will come to the right conclusions.

Clean and healthy coastal water quality Water Quality Testing Stations Low Impact Development (LID) Game School Yard Report Card Clean coastal waters are vital to our health, economy and lifestyles. Along the coast, the waters we depend on for fishing and swimming are becoming polluted by stormwater runoff. When rain falls on roofs, streets, driveways, and parking lots, it collects bacteria and other pollutants and discharges them into our coastal waters. The Coastal Federation brings together partners in urban and rural landscapes to tackle stormwater runoff on two fronts: to prevent stormwater runoff and reduce the volumes of runoff currently impacting our waterways. We promote and apply strategies that slow down the flow of stormwater and allow it to soak into the ground. Most of these strategies include Low Impact Development techniques such as infiltration that enable us to reduce the volume of polluted runoff. Using a variety of approaches, we work to promote and implement watershed restoration plans and stormwater management programs at the state and local levels. By educating and assisting regional property owners, coastal communities and farmers to design and install targeted wetland and stormwater retrofits, the volume of polluted stormwater reaching our coastal waters can be substantially decreased.

Oysters support vibrant fisheries and habitat, good water quality and a thriving coastal economy Oyster Dissection Presentation Lab Sheet Oyster Review Jeopardy Service Learning: Oyster Shell Bagging Oyster Reef Construction Monitoring Oysters are a vital keystone species in our estuaries, providing habitat for other species and filtering water for improved water quality. They also serve as an important food source and part of our maritime culture. However, oyster populations are on the decline in North Carolina. Some estimates indicate the population is at 10 percent of historic levels due to disease, poor water quality, overfishing and natural disaster. Since 2003, a cohesive, statewide effort spearheaded by the North Carolina Coastal Federation has blended the latest science, cutting edge restoration techniques, watershed protection efforts and active resource management to build off of the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries’ work to support healthy oyster populations. This work paid big dividends in 2015 as the North Carolina General Assembly embraced and funded major new initiatives to improve oyster management. In 2016, the General Assembly included $1.4 million in the state budget for building oyster sanctuaries in the Pamlico Sound, creating rotational harvest oyster reefs throughout the North Carolina coast and accelerating shellfish industry growth. With the implementation of the 50 Million Oyster Initiative, this work will continue to grow. By 2019, the federation and its partners will restore 50 million oysters in Pamlico Sound by working with partners to build 50 acres of oyster sanctuaries. These oysters will filter and clean 2.5 trillion gallons of water per day, benefiting fisheries and the tourism industry. The federation’s goal is to have the North Carolina coast regarded as the “Napa Valley” of oysters. We are working closely with and helping to coordinate the efforts of all stakeholders to build a statewide network of oyster sanctuaries, enhance shellfish management areas, improve and protect water quality and implement other priority actions. We will also engage and educate the public to build political support for oyster restoration. In 2016, the federation and stakeholders developed NCoysters.org, a comprehensive source for all information related to oyster habitat restoration, education/outreach, planning and research in North Carolina.

A coast that is free of marine debris Crab Pot Removal Education Marine Debris Timeline Shoreline Cleanups Data Collection Graphing & Write-Up

Natural and productive estuarine shorelines. Living Shorelines “Shifting Shorelines” Lesson Student Service Learning Marsh Grass Plantings Oyster Reef Construction Living Shoreline Exploration Marsh Quadrants Identification Guides livingshorelinesacademy.org North Carolina’s estuarine shorelines are some of the most ecologically and economically valuable pieces of real estate in the world. For decades, property owners have built bulkheads and hardened hundreds of miles of shoreline to combat this loss. As has already occurred in other more urbanized coastal states, these environmentally damaging practices will someday leave North Carolina with walls around polluted and biologically impaired estuaries. We promote a more effective and natural way to manage shoreline erosion called living shorelines. Living shorelines are longer-term, less-expensive techniques that reduce erosion while at the same time maintaining or restoring the shoreline’s natural integrity and functions. The Coastal Federation is committed to streamline permitting for living shorelines, promoting living shorelines to waterfront property owners and training coastal landowners and marine contractors on how to design and build these more environmentally friendly alternatives.

Teacher Resources https://www.coastalreview.org/ https://www.eenorthcarolina.org/ https://www.mbari.org/products/educational- resources/earth/earth-lesson-plans/ www.nccoastalreserve.net/web/crp/curriculum SciREN events https://sciren.org/ Girls Exploring Science & Technology Events High School- Fall, UNC Institute of Marine Sciences Middle School- Spring, Duke University Marine Lab