Corbett's Corner
Sitting at my keyboard, reflecting on the last couple of weeks- not months- as I prepare this message, I am struck by the sheer amount of change, challenge, and ultimate destruction felt across so many communities. Four houses have been taken by the Atlantic in Rodanthe; and two major hurricanes have come ashore in Florida and left a path of devastation across many states. The images and stories coming from Western North Carolina are truly heartbreaking, demonstrating the power of Mother Nature and the need to embrace the changes in climate for the health, safety, and preservation of our citizens and communities! We must move forward together, guided by the best available science, to create more resilient communities and better prepare for the next storm, flood, or other natural disaster that certainly will come…it is a matter of when, not if!
This is not meant to portray an image of doom and gloom, although it is our current reality. However, these challenges provide opportunity…that is where our focus must be, the opportunity to build a better community and welcome the new jobs, businesses, and workforce this will create. For me, it’s a reminder of our mission, why Integrated Coastal Programs was created, and the Coastal Studies Institute is located on the Outer Banks… an interdisciplinary team of scientists focused on coastal systems, changes in communities and ecosystems, providing unbiased science to ensure that we can adapt to these changes and take advantage of opportunities across these landscapes. And we are following this mission!
Over the last several months, I have traveled across eastern NC and given presentations on coastal change and flooding in response to storms, erosion, and rising seas. I have talked with our local and state leaders about the consequences of simply maintaining the status quo. I welcomed the opportunity to participate in and provide background science for several interviews that have been published in paper/online and for several TV news reels. This outward-facing approach highlights just a few examples of how CSI is helping insert the science being conducted here and by many of our colleagues into conversations and hopefully policy!
I admit that I am passionate about the role we play for our community and State. People that know me certainly know I don’t shy away from a microphone, camera, or reporter's tablet. It is so important that we present our science to as many people that are willing to listen…today more than ever! I am so proud of all the great work being done by our organization. It is making a difference…I truly believe that and hope you will help spread some of the knowledge!
Enjoy learning more about some of our ongoing efforts through this issue of CoastLines. Heck, show it to a neighbor or friend. Let’s keep sharing all the wonderful things taking place here at ECU’s Outer Banks Campus…the work we are doing is making a difference today!
As always, I hope you will continue to support our mission, stop by for a visit, or even reach out for another coastal discussion! Have a great fall.
Best,
Reide Corbett
Dean, Integrated Coastal Programs
Student Section
Summer Camp Recap
Another summer has come and gone, and while most academic institutions tend to quiet down for the season, the energy at the Coastal Studies Institute is often at its highest.
In addition to the nine REU students and a handful of others participating in internships or independent studies, CSI saw 107 students walk through its doors for summer camp, and some of those campers even attended multiple sessions. The 2024 lineup included eight weeks of fun, educational instruction and field trips spanning four different STEAM-oriented themes.
Sustainable Seas, an oceanography and coastal engineering-focused camp, was offered during the first and fifth weeks. Sustainable Seas participants built model houses to withstand “hurricane force” winds originating from a leaf-blower moved closer and closer for each Category; created shoreline protective measures for an erosion simulation game; examined the complex nature of human-ecosystem dynamics in fisheries; and explored how technology could benefit coastal research by flying toy drones on different missions. The campers also learned about advances in renewable energy, building model wind turbines and wave energy converters.
Campers who attended either the second or sixth weeks participated in the Shapes in Science camps. The theme of this camp was centered around the integration of art, science, and the environment. Field trips to Jockey’s Ridge State Park, the grounds of Bodie Island Lighthouse, and the Nags Head Woods Preserve brought awareness to the many different Outer Banks ecosystems and the things one might find in each. Wherever they went, the students were encouraged to capture the unique variables of each site through photography. For each research or environmental aspect the campers considered in the lab or classroom, there was also an accompanying art project. After learning about Gulf Stream ecology, the campers created a mixed-media mural to communicate the complex food web among Gulf Stream organisms. After thinking about both the ecological and economic benefits of the coastal ocean environment, the campers made wave-inspired sculptures. To end the week, the students curated a gallery for their family and friends to highlight all they had learned that week.
During weeks three and seven, participants enjoyed Coastal Kingdoms, a camp that focuses on marine and coastal biology and ecology. Starting with some of the smallest organisms such as plankton and oysters then transitioning to fish, and even larger creatures like marine mammals and bears, the students learned all about the critters that make up the local fresh and saltwater environments of the Outer Banks. By collecting oysters from bags that hung off the CSI docks, the campers saw first-hand how oysters could provide habitat for a variety of organisms including mud crabs, worms, blennies, gobies, eels, and other juvenile fish. During a half-day program led by the North Carolina Coastal Federation, they planted saltmarsh cordgrass at Jockey’s Ridge State Park to assist with shoreline restoration efforts. The week ended with a trip to Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge to explore the pocosin environment via kayaks.
Finally, during the fourth and final weeks, Legends of the Atlantic was on the schedule. This camp, focused on maritime archeology, gave students a glimpse into the world of diving and the shipwrecks that rest just off the Outer Banks. Campers in these sessions visited the remains of a few shipwrecks on land, chatted with experts in the field, and learned what it takes to document a shipwreck by hand and gather clues to identify each site correctly. They visited Harrison Boatworks, a local boat builder in Wanchese, to see boat building firsthand and even received a behind-the-scenes tour of the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum’s collections room!
“It’s so much fun to see the campers get excited about science and enjoy our local, natural environments. Our camps provide a great mix of education and fun, all while highlighting the many marine and coastal-related career paths the Outer Banks offers,” says camp director Parker Murphy. “We really enjoy offering programs that have something for everyone, and we are already looking forward to the 2025 season!”
While the next round of camps is still almost a year away, the Education and Outreach staff will spend much of the fall and winter planning new and exciting things for next summer. As always, registration will open on March 1.
For the most up-to-date camp information, visit the CSI Summer Camp webpage; follow CSI on Facebook, Instagram, and X; and subscribe to CSI’s seasonal newsletter.
REU Reflections
Coastal communities and coastlines around the world are increasingly facing challenges including extreme weather, sea level rise, and population growth. While people may not see eye-to-eye when it comes to the drivers of these changes, most will agree that coastlines are transforming nonetheless and threatening humanity’s current way of life at the coast.
What can communities do to combat these changes? How might they adapt to become more resilient? These were some of the general questions tackled by students participating in the fourth year of the Resilience and Adaptation to Coastal Change Across Communities (C2C) Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) this summer at the Coastal Studies Institute.
The 2024 C2C REU program, funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and hosted jointly by East Carolina University®, Clemson University, and the University of Puerto Rico- Arecibo, received the most interest to date. 199 individuals applied for only nine available spots, and the nine accepted students came from all over the country to the Outer Banks for a summer season of intensive learning and research. Through the program, they studied both natural and human-made environments from the perspectives of the natural and social sciences.
While the students had the opportunity to experience life on the Outer Banks through guided trips to Nags Head Woods, Jennette’s Pier, the NC Coastal Federation, and Oregon Inlet, the C2C program’s main goal is to give undergraduate students opportunities for independent research. Each of the students was paired with a faculty mentor, or mentors, from one of the three host schools. Some had mentors with whom they could meet regularly in person, but others coordinated with their advisors virtually.
The students had about 10 weeks to work with mentors to develop and implement a short coastal-related research project. Some continued projects started in previous years. This year the program also placed an emphasis on science communication and education. As an additional assignment, the students were divided into small teams and asked to plan an educational module that included a lesson on a related topic in coastal studies and a hands-on activity for K-12 age students with the hope that they could be used in CSI summer camp programming in the future. Finally, in addition to completing these program requirements, most of the students presented their research at the Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium (SURS) on ECU’s main campus in Greenville two weeks before their own symposium at CSI.
“I was blown away by what these students were able to accomplish in a summer. This group was full of self-starters and needed little to no guidance from me to begin their independent research. By week two, one student was already out in the field collecting shrimp, one had fully transitioned from their typical studies as a biology major into a minor economics expert for their econ-focused project, and another was analyzing data using a new-to-them program,” says C2C REU program coordinator Julie Kirn.
A few projects and experiences, in particular, showcase the diverse, yet interdisciplinary and collaborative nature of the C2C REU program.
Sydnie Vasquez, a student from the University of Puerto Rico- Arecibo, worked with Dr. Mike O’Driscoll (ECU) to assess seasonal and spatial variations in nitrate levels in areas of Nags Head, NC. She found the project equally fascinating and challenging as English is her second language and communicating scientific ideas in a non-native language was sometimes difficult.
During her time on the Outer Banks, Vasquez reviewed data collected in previous years to identify areas with elevated levels of nitrates found in surface and groundwater which could have implications for overall water quality in Nags Head. She was also able to assist with ongoing sample collections.
Now that areas in Nags Head with elevated levels of nitrates have been identified, there can be a more targeted approach by the Town of Nags Head to mitigate decreased water quality. “Persistent efforts in this area will ensure a healthier and more sustainable aquatic environment for the future,” she writes.
Another North Carolina-focused study was conducted by ECU student Paige Day (pictured below) under the mentorship of ECU faculty members Dr. Rosana Nieto Ferreira and Dr. Thomas Rickenback. Day used data from a week-long case study conducted in July 2016 to better understand diurnal precipitation patterns in coastal North Carolina-- an area that typically receives rain offshore in the mornings and then rain over land and near shore in the afternoons during the summer season. The results of her project will help to improve the forecasting of short-term and seasonal summertime rain for the NC coastal plain and offshore region.
Finally, while Vasquez’s and Day’s research studies were within the hard science fields, Catie McKinney (pictured below), a student from High Point University, tackled a social science issue with the help of her advisors Dr. Kelly Lazar (Clemson University) and Shannon Connor, a graduate student at Clemson. Her work aimed to define what the field of Coastal Studies includes and then better represent the entire domain. Through her study, McKinney found that concepts of weather & climate, physical processes, natural processes, engineering, policy, and social-ecological dynamics are all included in the coastal studies realm and that coastal education should emphasize system interconnectedness and human impacts.
All the students put a tremendous amount of work into their studies, and this was evident at their own research symposium at CSI in August. Not only did each student produce a poster to share their findings with program mentors and CSI faculty and staff, but they also prepared reflective videos and spoke on a panel to answer questions about their summer experiences.
This highlighted some of the challenges young researchers face, including the obstacles involved with remote work, research, and collaboration. Overall, though, the students were delighted by the opportunities they received this summer through the C2C REU program-- thoughts echoed by two former C2C REU participants who loved their experiences at CSI so much that they returned for research technician positions in 2024.
Though the fourth year of the C2C REU program has ended, there are still many coastal resiliency issues to address. The program has requested additional funding so that the C2C REU may continue for three more years.
Coral in the Caribbean
Through her research and participation in the ECU Integrated Coastal Sciences Ph.D. program, one student isn’t just seeking to study something new. She’s also aiming to make her mark on the world and help people along the way.
Alexandra Stevenson grew up in a military family and moved frequently in her early years. She witnessed her father work closely with the members of each new community through his role in the Army; and she was introduced to many cultures and backgrounds as he made connections with people in each new place. From an early age, she knew that she, too, wanted to help others as a part of her future career. Initially, she pursued nursing but found another outlet for her aspirations after taking an introductory anthropology course taught by one enthusiastic professor.
Today, Stevenson is an environmental anthropologist focused on the ways different cultures and environments influence each other. She is particularly interested in people’s interactions with the environment, subsistence strategies, climate change, and environmental justice.
She feels the need to be at “the nexus of the human-environment interaction,” she says. “I need to ensure my research exists in that space because there are so many injustices that happen that people are so unaware of or are aware of but don’t know how to fix it.”
She yearns to use her position and research to advocate and elevate those typically excluded from these critical conversations. Although she is only in her second year of the ICS program and is still completing the required courses, Stevenson has already begun to prepare for her dissertation.
Thanks, in part, to a supplemental grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF), Stevenson visited the US Virgin Islands in the summer of 2024 to participate in a coral restoration project and collect some preliminary data for her research. The opportunity will contribute to a greater, ongoing NSF Coastlines and People grant-funded project called “Strong Coasts” to which she and her advisor, Dr. Cindy Grace-McCaskey, currently contribute. The overarching goal of this work is to create equitable nature-based solutions to climate change through mangrove and coral restoration in Miami, Belize, and the US Virgin Islands.
While in the Caribbean, Stevenson focused extensively on the ecological aspects of her research. She worked closely with the Coral World Ocean and Reef Initiative, Inc. (CWORI), collecting data at current coral restoration sites and processing previously collected data to assess coral cover- i.e., the amount of coral present at specific plots. She also learned about land and water-based coral nursery operations and participated in out-planting smaller coral structures at reef restoration sites. Additionally, she became a certified Scientific Diver.
Though Stevenson has long been intrigued by anthropology and is quite familiar with its practices, she has had less exposure, up until now, to the ecological side of things. Her time in the US Virgin Islands allowed her to expand her skillset and broaden her assessments of environmental-human issues.
“Ecology informs a lot of policy and decision-making,” Stevenson explains. Ecologists approach problems in ways that often align with anthropologists' perspectives. I see how the two [disciplines] can complement each other.”
She recognizes that past conservation efforts have often alienated the people most dependent on the area. Setting aside plots for conservation with strict rules and boundaries is an action intended to deter exploiters, but it also excludes local people who have built their livelihoods around both utilizing and maintaining that environment. Stevenson believes it would be better to practice social-ecological conservation, in which policy-makers co-develop conservation strategies with indigenous or local people, incorporating their knowledge of the area.
In line with this thinking, Stevenson also collected information for a pilot social science survey while in the Virgin Islands. To gauge the local perceptions of coral reefs and restoration efforts, she asked residents open- and closed-ended questions about the benefits of coral reefs, cultural identity or stewardship practices related to the reefs, in-water experiences such as snorkeling or SCUBA diving, and their level of participation, if any, in restoration efforts.
Stevenson hopes her survey results will provide insights into what might be missing in the area to foster greater involvement, better sustain current restoration efforts, and increase community identity and resilience.
Though she still has a few years to go before completing the ICS program and her dissertation, Stevenson has clear goals of what she hopes to accomplish.
“Ideally, my work will contribute to the evidence showing that people without master’s degrees or Ph.D.s can still greatly contribute to the field and be successful,” she says. “I want to leave something behind that the community can use to continue building their connection and environmental stewardship with their local ecosystem.”
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Background Image: A reef shark encountered while collecting photogrammetry data at one of the reef sites. (Photo: Clara O'Keefe)
Buzzing Around the Everglades
How did Kinsey Blumenthal (left in photo), an Integrated Coastal Sciences (ICS) Ph.D. student, end up studying blood-borne pathogens carried by mosquitos in the Florida Everglades? The story is not as straightforward as one might think.
In short, it took years for all of Blumenthal’s unique interests to align. She has long held an interest in public health. Medicine and infectious diseases intrigued her as she grew up, yet she knew medical school was not for her. While pursuing her undergraduate degree, she also took an interest in remote sensing via an archaeology course. Then in grad school, her work focused on wetlands. When the opportunity came for Blumenthal to enroll in the ICS program, she knew she wanted to combine her passion for wetlands- in this case, mangroves- with that of remote sensing, and working with her now mentor Dr. David Lagomasino seemed like the perfect fit.
“I was drawn to the ICS program because of its interdisciplinary nature. Additionally, Dr. Lagomasino really encouraged me to develop my own project, not limited to the work I was doing for my assistantship,” Blumenthal recalls. “I truly felt like I had ownership over my research as it developed.”
While taking the required courses and electives needed for ICS credits, Blumenthal participated in a mosquito-focused lab lead by Dr. Stephanie Richards. Upon completion, she realized she could make a connection between all her main interests for her dissertation.
Fast forward to Summer 2024, and Blumenthal found herself on a two-week trip collecting mosquitoes in the Florida Everglades alongside Dr. Lagomasino and fellow student Daystar Babanawo for her research.
“My dissertation topic is on identifying how environmental change in mangroves impacts mosquito biodiversity and blood-feeding behavior. The focus is on mosquito species known to transmit disease and the implications of these shifts in mosquito ecology on disease exposure risk,” Blumenthal explains.
While deep in the Everglades, the group of three captured thousands upon thousands of mosquitos from 15 sites using two different collection techniques depending on their intended targets. “Blood fed” mosquitos were generally found resting, as they usually tend to do for several days after feeding. Traps for blood-fed mosquitos consisted of a large diameter aspirator- essentially a crude, portable vacuum (seen in photo background, right)- to pluck the critters from their environment.
Traps for mosquitos seeking a blood meal, on the other hand, were a bit more complex (seen in photo foreground, left). These more active mosquitos were drawn in using CDC light traps- a hanging trap with a small light positioned over a fan that sucked the mosquitos into a collection bag underneath. While the light attracted many of the mosquitos to the trap, the researchers also added dry ice to the traps as extra bait. Mosquitos rely on chemical signals when looking for their next blood meal, and the off-gassed CO2 from the dry ice mimicked the exhalation of animals targeted as prey.
After two weeks of diligent work and grueling Florida heat, Blumenthal and her colleagues made their way back to North Carolina, and she began to analyze their collections. First order of business? Identify each individual mosquito down to its species, or even sub-species when possible. Once all mosquitos are identified, Blumenthal will run a series of statistical analyses that will hopefully give insight into mosquito biodiversity and spatial patterns in South Florida.
As part of her analysis, and with the help of tools like GIS- a remote sensing, mapping platform- she will compare the current community makeup to that which was identified in a previous study over a decade ago to assess what, if any, changes have occurred in the community makeup of mosquitos in the Everglades. Further insights from this part of her research might include considerations for shifting disease vectors and transmission, and how those two things may be influenced by climate change, as well as water restoration projects in Florida.
Though this most recent field campaign was largely a success, Blumenthal has her work cut out for her. In addition to the mosquito analysis, she must incorporate a social science aspect into her dissertation as required by the ICS program. As such, she is conducting an electronic survey through October of people who regularly work in the mangroves to learn more about their mosquito-related experiences and what preventative measures they might use to guard themselves from the insects.
All in all, Blumenthal believes she has another 12-15 months of research ahead of her but is quite content with the niche project she’s created for herself- one that leaves her at the intersection of remote sensing, wetlands, and human health.
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Mosquito Trivia... Did you know?
• Not all kinds of mosquitos transmit diseases. Only a small number of over 3,000 species have been identified as disease vectors.
• Only female mosquitos take blood meals. The nutrients found in blood are necessary for producing eggs.
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The fieldwork mentioned in the preceding story was made possible by a 2023 ForEverglades research enhancement grant from the Everglades Foundation to support Blumenthal's work.
Faculty Highlight
Dr. Sean Charles
A Man For the Swamps
The newest addition to the Department of Coastal Studies’ faculty is no stranger to the ECU Outer Banks Campus and the Coastal Studies Institute. In fact, before his recent promotion to Research Assistant Professor, Dr. Sean Charles had been a postdoctoral scholar in the Coasts and Oceans Observing Lab at CSI since 2020.
Given his childhood experiences, it should come as no surprise that Charles now studies coastal wetlands all over the world. His earliest memories include jumping from cypress trees into marshy waters, and his first “job” was catching crabs from his kayak to sell to his parents’ friends. He has always felt most at home near the marsh, and the setting has driven his curiosity from an early age.
The problems faced by coastal communities and ecosystems today, such as sea level rise and saltwater intrusion, “came to me before I even realized it,” says Charles.
After graduating from college, Charles wrote for an environmental policy and advocacy group. He also created his own business called “Backyard Farmer”, through which he helped people in his community start their own gardens. With both jobs, Charles soon felt the draw to learn more about the interaction between plants, soils, and the broader ecosystem.
He recalled that during his final semester as an undergraduate, a wetland ecology course had illustrated the central role wetlands play in the environment by providing essential ecosystem functions. Thus he reached out with questions to the professor who taught the course. Contact between the two continued and eventually turned into Charles’ master’s research at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science about the impacts of freshwater wetlands on water quality at the coast.
Charles's thirst for knowledge couldn’t be quenched, thus he began a PhD program at Florida International University. While he loved researching the impacts of local and global environmental change on ecosystems ranging from mangroves in Everglades National Park to Antarctic zooplankton, Charles longed to be back in the salt marshes of his Mid-Atlantic home. As fate would have it, he landed on the Outer Banks at CSI- a place with no shortage of wetlands to offer. While he continues to study ecosystems regionally and internationally, understanding and conserving North Carolina’s coastal wetlands has become his focus.
Today, Charles’s research on plant-soil interactions in coastal ecosystems continues in hopes of better understanding how wetlands and their associated plants can be used to mitigate climate change and anthropogenic, or human-caused, disturbances. His work spans multiple scales, ranging from national and international collaborations- including folks from NASA- to investigate changes in wide swaths of land over 40 years to tiny, 1-meter plots in the Currituck Sound.
He, like so many others in this region, recognizes how important this diverse coastal ecosystem can be and wants to work toward enhancing coastal resilience in North Carolina. The marshes and coastal wetlands of North Carolina help mitigate impacts from large storm events; provide critical habitat for a variety of bird and fish species; and are carbon supersinks, meaning they capture and retain a significant amount of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. In addition to their natural value, they are also sites with great cultural, recreational, and economic value in the area.
As such, many of Charles’s ongoing projects focus on restoration and preservation efforts, as well as ecological assessments. He primarily views the environment through plant communities that reflect the environmental conditions in which they exist. He uses a combination of traditional ecological field methods (botany, biogeochemistry, and soil science) combined with cutting-edge monitoring methods to assess the health of coastal wetlands. He also utilizes remote sensing tools such as drones and satellite imagery, a skillset that he says he learned “out of necessity” during the COVID-19 pandemic when fieldwork was not an option.
Through this work, he has become quite familiar with the places and people in and near the Currituck Sound, and particularly the Pine Island Audubon Sanctuary. The native plant communities found on the marsh islands in the Sanctuary play a critical role in trapping sediment. Due to their distance from Oregon Inlet and the subsequent lack of regular flooding tides and sediment deposition, wetland pockets in the Currituck Sound are especially vulnerable. Sea level rise and increasing salinity put additional stress on the native plant communities. One of Charles’ studies aims to identify which marshes in the Sound are at the highest risk, and for what reasons, in hopes of implementing successful restoration areas with the greatest chance of success. Not only does this project rely on the expertise of several scientific collaborators, but Charles values the input and local knowledge of the hunters and fishers who use the area every day and in every season.
“As scientists, it is our job not just to bring our scientific expertise and research questions, but also to listen to those that use the land to identify changes, concerns, and potential solutions that they envision," shares Charles.
"And as scientists, we are here as a resource to help identify vulnerability, monitor environmental change and help identify, test and implement solutions that can improve and preserve the environment and improve all people’s lives. The marshes are something that we all rely on. I welcome the local knowledge and want to understand the people’s priorities for our shared ecosystems so that we can work together to improve and protect our natural environment.”
Another project Charles is helping with also considers those who use the marsh. This semester he is an instructor for the UNC Outer Banks Field Site (OBXFS) which allows students to engage in coastal research opportunities.
Prescribed burning has been historically used to shape the marsh ecosystems in Currituck to attract waterfowl, however not much is known about the overall impact this method has had on the ecosystem’s resilience and function.
This fall, Charles, his colleagues, and the OBXFS students are identifying differences in plant community composition; calculating biomass; measuring sediment accretion (or gain); and collecting water quality readings to compare the current ecosystem to those described in records kept during previous burn years. While in the field, they are also characterizing habitat use primarily for birds but also for invasive nutria. Overall, the group hopes to gain insight into marsh resilience and vulnerabilities.
“This is a unique opportunity to collaborate with both hunters and birdwatchers, not in a top-down manner as is often the case between scientists and hunters, but to work together to improve ecosystem management,” says Charles.
"Furthermore, by engaging students in research on coastal resilience in collaboration with a broad range of end-users and managers, we hope to promote cooperation and resilience across coastal communities."
Education, outreach, and collaboration are essential to turn science into holistic ecosystem conservation.
Through his work, Charles has truly embodied many of the traits that make the Outer Banks community what it is. He is a curious problem solver who values coming together with others to overcome challenges, all the while making the Outer Banks a more resilient place.
Trendsetter Banner To Debut on ECU Outer Banks Campus
This fall a banner honoring Dr. Siddharth Narayan will hang at the ECU Outer Banks Campus! Narayan received an Early Career Trendsetter Award in 2023. The award, which was established in 2022, highlights faculty members who lead the way in research and creative activities at ECU. Trendsetter Awardees are knowledgeable, consistent, willing to share their expertise, and enthusiastic about their work. They influence others to follow the paths they forge.
“My research contributes to our commitment to regional transformation by employing collaborative, interdisciplinary approaches that explore how coastal communities can adapt for future hazards,” says Narayan, who leads the Coastal Engineering and Adaptation Lab.
Research Focus
Prevalence of Shrimp Black Gill Disease in the Estuary
Brown (Penaues aztecus) and white (Penaeus setiferus) shrimp make up approximately 25% of total commercial landings by weight in North Carolina. But with shrimp black gill disease creeping up the Southeast Atlantic coast, is it possible that number could change in the near future? While the answer to this question still hangs in the balance, some ECU researchers are doing all they can to learn more about the disease and its prevalence in NC estuaries.
Black Gill disease is caused by a parasite native to the Gulf of Mexico. Since the 1990s occurrences of the disease have slowly spread north, and in 2016, the North Carolina Dept. of Marine Fisheries (NCDMF) first noted the disease in state waters during its annual trawling surveys. The disease is named for its presentation in later stages when infected shrimp appear to have black gills; however, the disease can go undetected to the naked eye for quite some time. In addition to the melanization of the gills, the disease can cause inflammation, cysts and nodules, and necrosis of gill tissue. These symptoms can lead to poor respiratory function and reduced physical endurance in shrimp, as well as an increased risk of predation upon the diseased shrimp.
With such impacts known to harm brown and white shrimp species, it is no surprise that the commercial fishing community is concerned about the presence of the disease and the implications it could have for the industry. Thus, a study led by ECU biologists Drs. April Blakeslee and Jim Morley aims to better understand the prevalence and spread of the disease in NC estuaries by evaluating a variety of sites and environmental conditions.
As they put it in their grant proposal, the study will “allow us to gain the first real understanding of the distribution, prevalence, and intensity of the disease in NC waters, as well as the abiotic drivers influencing disease dynamics and host response.”
Photo, above or right: Lab technician Chloe Gabriel (left) and REU participant Summer Duba (middle) assist Dr. Blakeslee (right) with water quality measurements and shrimp collection in the estuary.
The study, which will last through 2024, uses a combination of visual examinations, microscopy and PCR sequencing- a type of genetic testing- to help identify diseased shrimp collected across seven different sites in the Pamlico Sound and estuarine waters further south. Sample sites in the region include Englehard Bay, Stumpy Point Bay, Oregon Inlet, White Oak River, Newport River, and New River. Their physical and statistical analyses of the samples should reveal if there are certain hotspots for the disease or if disease prevalence is relatively the same across the different sites. Based on environmental data collected at each site, such as water temperature and salinity, the researchers will have information that can be used for predictive models to assess how rising temperatures and changing salinities could affect the prevalence of disease, as well as potential impacts on the shrimp fishery.
Photo, above or left: Dr. Jim Morley (foreground) and Ph.D. student Andrew McMains (background) shuffle through shallow water pulling a seine net to collect shrimp.
While the study is ongoing, preliminary results suggest that:
- Infection rates are highest in white shrimp during the late summer and early fall.
- The prevalence of black gill disease varies across different locations in the Albemarle-Pamlico Estuarine System. The reason for these differences is currently uncertain, but they could be related to water quality, habitat types, or even the number of shrimp present in a particular area.
- Infection rates are higher in larger/ older shrimp that are making their way from nursery habitats in the estuary to coastal inlets. This is an important insight because proper gill function is likely important during this life stage. These shrimp are moving long distances, encountering predators, and potentially have to navigate patches of low oxygen as they move from one area to the next.
- Infected shrimp exhibit greater signs of stress in lower salinity environments, which in turn could make them more likely to succumb to the disease.
Given these findings and those still to come, “[The study is] especially relevant for future management of the fishery and contributes to a greater understanding of disease dynamics in the region. Our project will generate valuable data for fishery managers and fishers,” report Blakeslee and Morley.
CSI Faculty Receive NSF Grant for Renewable Ocean Energy Research
Remote and island communities, like the Outer Banks, do not always have access to resilient energy sources during severe weather or other coastal hazards that jeopardize traditional grid power. When disaster strikes, it may be quite some time before such communities have renewed access to clean drinking water or electricity, and this lag time can hamper recovery efforts. However, thanks to a new ~$3.6 million National Science Foundation (NSF) grant awarded over five years to researchers from the University of Michigan, East Carolina University, UNC- Chapel Hill, and Virginia Tech, increased levels of energy resilience could be just around the corner for the coastal communities in North Carolina, Michigan, and Alaska. In North Carolina, the Town of Nags Head has been chosen as a focal community.
The new project launched on September 27 and could last up to five years. The main objective is to provide a comprehensive, transdisciplinary approach to the development and deployment of marine renewable energy technologies that could be tailored to individual communities.
The first two years of the five-year project will be spent getting to know the stakeholders of the communities, assessing their specific energy-related needs, and identifying potential wave energy technologies that could meet those needs. During the remaining years of the project, the focus will shift to technology design evaluations, wave tank testing, and testing deployment of devices in coastal waters. Technology that uses waves as a renewable energy source will be a focal point of community discussions and suggested solutions. Technical leads will consider the needs of each community as they create and then test marine renewable energy devices that are specifically suited for each of the three study areas.
Among those to receive funding are Drs. Eric Wade (ECU & CSI) and Lindsay Dubbs (UNC-CH & CSI), both of whom are based at the Coastal Studies Institute. Dubbs’ previous and ongoing work to collect environmental assessment data off the Outer Banks coast will be leveraged during the technology development phase of the project, especially here in North Carolina. Her work, largely funded by the North Carolina Renewable Ocean Energy Program (NCROEP) led by CSI, has been focused on the potential impacts of marine energy development on nearshore and offshore ecosystems.
Meanwhile, Wade will lead community engagement efforts including workshops, interviews, and surveys to better understand the needs of each unique community, as well as community members’ perceptions of marine renewable energy devices. One desired result of their research, in combination with the research of others leading the study, is to create a set of socio-environmental metrics to guide the identification of marine energy technologies that account for community needs and environmental dynamics.
“This project can be transformative for powering remote coastal communities by leveraging wave energy technologies," says Wade. "Indeed, this project centers communities as a key partner by understanding their needs and designing technologies that best meet them. Through this community-centered approach, we hope to contribute to the need for energy equality and sustainability for coastal remote communities. Further, this project leverages ECU and CSI’s ongoing partnership with coastal communities, seeing them not only as research recipients but as active participants throughout the project.”
In addition to building upon pre-established relationships with local communities in North Carolina, this project complements ongoing research conducted by the NC Renewable Ocean Energy Program (NCROEP) and the Atlantic Marine Energy Center (AMEC), of which CSI is a founding member. Once the project has reached the deployment phase, the device built based on the identified needs of Nags Head will be tested at the Jennette’s Pier Wave Energy Test Center, managed by NCROEP and Jennette’s Pier.
North Carolina Renewable Ocean Energy Program (NCROEP) News
Summer Internships
High school students, Finnegan Davis, Moira Furr, and Maya Corbett, along with Hannah Holland, an undergraduate student from the University of Tampa, interned in the Ecology & Biogeochemistry of Marine & Coastal Systems Lab with Dr. Lindsay Dubbs and UNC-Chapel Hill PhD student Claire Johnson over the summer.
The high school interns (pictured above or right) investigated the use of pelagic Sargassum tissue for energy and material synthesis purposes, which included a literature review, analysis of the lab’s 9-year dataset of Sargassum tissue, and experimentation with making plastic from algae.
Holland’s summer internship project was a method comparison for the removal of epiphytes from the surface of macroalgae. She collected samples from the Pamlico Sound and Gulf Stream, gained experience using a high-performance liquid chromatograph (HPLC) for algal pigment analysis, and created a scientific poster detailing her project.
MHK on the Move
In July, members of the Oceanography & Marine Hydrokinetic Energy (MHK) Lab went offshore to work on a CDIP buoy (Coastal Data Information Program, in partnership with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory with funding from the US Army Corps of Engineers). The buoy was disconnected by divers, then hauled aboard, where the team replaced batteries and other software before re-deploying it in the ocean.
The buoy measures wave height, period, direction, and near-surface ocean currents. It informs several wave energy and current energy converter projects in the UNC system and helps provide an accurate estimate of the wave energy resource off the Outer Banks.
Then in September, members of the lab traveled to Old Dominion University to attend the 2024 National Science Foundation Ocean Observatories Initiative (NSF OOI) Community Workshop. The event was focused on the recently relocated NSF OOI Pioneer Array, a coastal mooring array, accompanied by glider and AUV transects, that provides continuous ocean observing measurements in the Mid-Atlantic Bight off the coast of North Carolina.
The workshop brought together various stakeholders interested in the Pioneer Array data to foster cross-network collaboration as well as future science and education initiatives. This data helps in understanding the biological, physical, and chemical processes of our oceans.
CTDs for All
The Coastal Studies Institute hosted Dr. Andrew Thaler, of Oceanography for Everyone, for a 3-day workshop where participants learned to construct, calibrate, and deploy OpenCTDs, an open-source, low-cost device to measure water salinity, temperature, and pressure.
The workshop included lessons on electronics, fabrication and 3D printing, coding, and CTD data collection and analysis. 17 CSI faculty, staff, students, and interns convened to construct 7 OpenCTDs, the largest workshop of its kind to date. These CTDs will soon be deployed in the Outer Banks Sounds as part of an NC Renewable Ocean Energy Program project.
NCROEP Down Under
CSI representatives from the North Carolina Renewable Ocean Energy Program recently attended the International Conference on Ocean Energy in Melbourne, Australia.
George Bonner (second from left) presented on CSI's role in the Atlantic Marine Energy Center (AMEC) and cross-cutting research and testing to advance marine energy.
Dr. Mike Muglia (far left) presented on CSI's ocean energy testing platform at Jennette's Pier.
Also in attendance, pictured middle to far right, were AMEC Director Martin Wosnik (University of New Hampshire), and Landon Mackey and Wesley William of WATER Bros (an NCROEP-funded team leading small business in wave-powered desalination technologies).
Community Calendar
Family Programs
Family Programs are educational opportunities for elementary school-aged children and their accompanying adult(s). These events are offered 1- 2 times per month, and the content changes seasonally. Each program incorporates fun, hands-on activities for experiential learning. Upcoming dates include October 23, November 6, and November 25, each from 3:30- 5 PM. Questions about Family Programs can be directed to Lauren Kerlin via email or at 252-475-5451.
Soundside Science Scouts
Back by popular demand, CSI will once again host day-long, mini-camp programs throughout the 2024-2025 year! Upcoming dates include November 11, February 10, March 14, and April 25. These programs will take place from 9:00 AM- 3:30 PM each day, and will be open to students ages 7 to 9. Questions about Soundside Science Scouts programs can be directed to Parker Murphy via email or at 252-475-5452.
ECU Outer Banks Campus Tours
Guided tours of the ECU Outer Banks Campus and Coastal Studies Institute are now offered on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month from 10:00- 11:00 AM. Visitors will be guided through the main Research Education & Administration building to get an overview of our unique academic programs, education and outreach initiatives, campus, and diverse research laboratories and their current projects. The cost of the tour is $5 per person and pre-registration is required.
Science on the Sound
Science on the Sound is a free lecture series hosted monthly on ECU Outer Banks Campus. The public is encouraged to attend, and programs are also always live-streamed on our YouTube channel.
Upcoming Science on the Sound events include:
- Thursday, October 24, 6 PM- Presentation by David Glenn (NOAA National Weather Service).
- Thursday, November 21, 6 PM- Presentation by George Jaramillo (Historical Architect, National Parks Service- Outer Banks Group).
- Thursday, December 12, 6 PM- Capstone Research Project presentation by the students of the UNC Outer Banks Field Site.
NC Renewable Energy Challenge
The North Carolina Renewable Energy Challenge is a competition in which students design, build, and test renewable energy devices and then compete with their peers to create the most efficient design to harness the power of wind or ocean currents. The next challenge will take place at the Coastal Studies Institute on the ECU Outer Banks Campus on March 22, 2025. It includes both wind turbine and underwater current turbine divisions. Student teams can compete in either the upper elementary/ middle school (4th-8th grade) or high school (9-12) age groups. The competition goal is to foster student interest in emerging renewable energy fields and inspire the next generation of engineers and renewable energy developers.
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ADA Accommodation: 252-737-1018 or ada-coordinator@ecu.edu