CoastLines ECU® INTEGRATED COASTAL PROGRAMS NEWSLETTER, Spring 2025

Corbett's Corner

As spring unfolds along our coast, we are reminded of the power of renewal — both in the natural world and in our academic community. The changing season brings familiar sights: marsh grasses returning to vibrant green, shorelines reshaped by winter storms, and longer days filled with the energy of new growth. At the Coastal Studies Institute and within Integrated Coastal Programs, spring also marks a season of transition and celebration as we honor the accomplishments of our students that have spent a semester on our campus this year and those that are finishing their degrees, ready for their commencement.

As an academic, this season always makes me think about graduation. Graduation is more than a ceremony; it is a milestone that signifies transformation. Our students leave with new knowledge, new skills, and new perspectives shaped by their peers, mentors, and hopefully their time at CSI. They carry forward the spirit of inquiry and collaboration that defines our work here — applying what they have learned to serve coastal communities, advance science, and meet the evolving challenges of our region and beyond.

This season’s theme of change extends beyond the individual. Our landscapes are constantly shifting, shaped by natural forces and human influence. At CSI, we see these changes not solely as challenges, but as opportunities for innovation, resilience, and partnership. Whether through research that informs coastal management, educational programs that prepare the next generation, or collaborations that connect science with community needs, we are committed to turning change into progress.

As you read through this issue, you’ll see examples of how our faculty, students, and partners are embracing this dynamic environment — exploring new frontiers in coastal science and working together to shape a more sustainable future.

Thank you for being part of our community. Together, we can continue to transform change into opportunity and knowledge into action.

Thank you for your continued support,

Reide

Another Busy Year at the Outer Banks Field Site

Another Fall semester came and went, and with that another cohort of students from UNC- Chapel Hill wrapped up an exciting semester of courses, internships, and research.

In the last quarter of 2024, twelve students from Chapel Hill and beyond traveled to the coast to participate in the UNC Institute for the Environment’s Outer Banks Field Site hosted at the Coastal Studies Institute. Their time on the Outer Banks allowed them to focus on their education through intensive learning as well as community involvement, which somehow defied the limits of work-life balance.

The students took classes like Coastal Law & Policy and Coastal Management; explored well-known sites such as Nags Head Woods and Jockey’s Ridge; went “down South” to Hatteras, Ocracoke, and even Portsmouth; participated in labs and workshops; interned for various environment-related organizations including the NC Coastal Reserve and NC Coastal Federation; and lived like locals, enjoying the small town shops and Thursday night line dancing at the Tiki Hut in Wanchese. As if all of that weren’t enough, they also somehow managed to complete an entire Capstone research project which they showcased at CSI’s December 2024 Science on the Sound.

At the beginning of the semester, the students completed a few “research intensives”, focusing on their Capstone and staying at the Pine Island Lodge on the Donal. C. O’Brien Sanctuary and Audubon Center property in Corolla for days at a time to better understand the Currituck Sound ecosystem and the perceptions of those who utilize it. The students recognized that the brackish marshes in the Sound are unique and face problems in the wake of climate change, erosion, and development.

The Capstone project was comprised of two mains parts. The students addressed both social and ecological components in their study. To better understand human dimensions in the area, they conducted twelve interviews with local stakeholders to learn about the varying attitudes, perceptions, uses, and management strategies- particularly prescribed fire- of the Currituck Sound and its marshes. The interviewees included fishers, hunters, boaters, property owners, recreational users, and lifelong residents; and they were identified as interview targets for their expected knowledge of the Sound.

Each of the twelve students conducted one stakeholder interview. Their questions covered topics such as the individual’s history with and use of the Sound, the perceived drivers of change in the area, and observations about local management and conservation efforts like controlled burning. The students coded the interviews, a process of assigning descriptive labels, or codes, to transcript segments to organize interview data. They identified six general categories among all of the codes: Uses, Ecological Changes/ Threats, Management, Connection/ History, Human Dimension Changes, and Natural Environment. From the codes and the detailed information of each interview, the students created “mental models” to represent how each interviewee thought about Currituck Sound and used them to understand the nuanced connections among codes, as well as common attitudes and differences amongst the stakeholders.

The models revealed that individual conceptualizations of the Sound depended on the type of user and their lived experiences, but generally they all thought of the area as a place full of aquatic and wildlife resources, a place of tourism, and finally, a place for recreation and gathering with family and friends. Interviewees had a strong sense of pride in their community and a recognized appreciation for wildlife.

The interviews and subsequent models also revealed that stakeholders, overall, seem to link the increased use of natural resources, human impacts, and population growth in the area to a decrease in ecosystem quality, particularly when it comes to marsh habitat, erosion, and water quality. Stakeholders also connected the management strategy of controlled burning to ecological changes in the marsh such as healthier vegetation, thus benefiting overall habitat quality and increasing usability by users.

In addition to gathering informative, qualitative data from Currituck Sound stakeholders through the interview and mental modeling process, the students also gathered quantitative data about the marshes through a variety of field sampling methods at six different sites in the Currituck Sound. The sites were picked based on accessibility and historical burn records. Two sites served as their control, having never been burned at all. Two other sites were only burned occasionally and not in the last few years, and the remaining two sites had been burned multiple years in a row.

At each of the six sites, the students examined three 1-meter-by-1meter plots to determine vegetative species variety and richness. At each plot they also took vegetation and soil samples to estimate biomass both above and below ground and soil properties. Water samples were also collected where possible.

After sifting through their ecological data, the students noticed the following trends:

• Species richness was low and varied little among sites. Common species observed across sites included black needle rush (Juncus romerianus), goldenrod (Solidago sempervirens), three square (Schoenoplectus pungens), penny wort (Hydrocotyle umbellata), and cordgrass (Spartina cynosuroides).
• All sites had relatively high C-values- a numerical measure indicating how tolerant plant species may be to human disturbances- meaning each site had high quality marsh habitat. The occasionally burned sites had the highest average C-value and best supported sensitive plant species.
• The occasionally burned and frequently burned sites maintained ecological quality comparable to the untouched control sites.
• Vegetation exhibited a higher tolerance for salinity at sites that were occasionally burned compared to those that were frequently burned or not burned at all. The students suggested that the balance of disturbance and recovery at occasionally burned sites could promote more salt-tolerant species.
• Occasionally burned sites displayed the highest average aboveground biomass, and belowground biomass was notably highest at frequently burned sites. Total biomass was also highest at frequently burned sites. These findings indicate stronger root systems at the frequently burned sites, which is an important natural characteristic for capturing carbon and combating erosion.
• High levels of phosphate were measured in the surface water and pore water (contained within soil cores) at the occasionally burned sites. Ammonia levels were also high in the surface water near occasionally burned sites.

Combining the above results from the natural science portion of their Capstone with the human dimension elements revealed from the twelve interviews, the students drew two main conclusions.

First, interviewee observations generally aligned with the research findings particularly when it came to water quality. Interviewees noted and/ or voiced concern over rising salinity as well as increased anthropogenic, or human-caused, pollution in the Sound. The high concentrations of ammonia and phosphate measured by the students at some sites in the Sound could have been a result of nutrient runoff from fertilizers. Additionally, the increased salinity tolerance of some plant species at the sample sites could indicate changes in salinity in the surrounding area.

Second, many of the interviewees had positive perceptions of controlled burning practices, providing anecdotal evidence that the vegetation grew back greener and thicker after burns and that there was seemingly less erosion taking place at burn sites. The students’ findings confirmed the stakeholders’ observations to an extent. Controlled burning resulted in positive impacts on the marsh including an increase in habitat quality and biomass when practiced in moderation. The benefits were best seen in instances where the marsh had time to recover between burns; thus, sites that are occasionally burned can increase short-term marsh resilience. Healthy soil and vegetation can help combat erosion and protect the overall marsh habitat.

While these conclusions are notable and the students were proud of their work, they did mention some limitations when presenting their findings to the public. Most of the interviewees fit the same demographics and held similar occupations. In future studies, the students suggest including a wider variety of stakeholders to encompass more diverse perceptions and opinions. Additionally, for the sake of getting the research experience, each student conducted one interview. Had only one person conducted interviews for all participants, some inconsistencies might have been avoided. Finally, the students also acknowledged their small number of sites which were not equally distributed across the Sound, as well as the myriad of variables- rain fall amounts, wind direction, etc.- that could have affected their water quality samples on any given day.

Moving forward, the students suggest an “adaptive management approach” for the marshes of the Currituck Sound. Depending on the desired outcome, managers may want to consider different burn frequencies for different benefits and scenarios.

“We believe it’s really important to incorporate the connections between our ecological findings, stakeholder perceptions, and local ecological knowledge in future management strategies,” said one student.

The students worked exceptionally hard to bring their Capstone research project to life over the course of one semester and were able to present all their methods and findings at the final 2024 installment of CSI’s Science on the Sound lecture series on December 13. Their presentation entitled “The Sound of Change: Responses to controlled burns and other changes in the Currituck Sound” was met with much enthusiasm by members of the public and received many praises from Pine Island Audubon Sanctuary Director Robbie Fearn.

After mulling over some of his own observations in previous years as well as the students’ findings, he said, “The work that these students have done has really set us up to dig in and figure out how best to manage these marshes in the Sound, and I’m very thankful for their work too.”

Since their final presentation, the students have all returned to their respective homes to gear up for another semester back in Chapel Hill. Their work on this topic may be complete, but for others, like Fearn, the work is just beginning. The public may view their presentation at any time on the CSI YouTube Channel, and a copy of their final report has been made publicly available online. For more about the Outer Banks Field site, please visit https://ie.unc.edu/field-education/field-sites/obxfs/ and https://outerbanks.web.unc.edu/.

Sam Farquhar Tackles Arctic Fisheries & Food Security in Ph.D. Research Project

Sam Farquhar began her Ph.D. journey amidst the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. At the time, she had recently completed her master’s program in Marine and Environmental Affairs at the University of Washington in Seattle followed by a nine-month fellowship in Madagascar. There, she worked with others to establish a marine protected area to foster sustainable fisheries and benefit the local community. She was job hunting when the pandemic hit and had little luck finding a place to begin her career.

As fate would have it, Farquhar noticed an advertisement for ECU’s Integrated Coastal Sciences (ICS) Ph.D. program in May 2020. She applied and was accepted into the program under the mentorship of Dr. Nadine Heck, joining the newest cohort of students just three months later in August. She initially hoped her dissertation would expand upon ideas from her time in Madagascar. However, since traveling so far was especially difficult during the first year of the pandemic, she decided to pivot her focus. Instead, Farquhar drew inspiration from her even earlier work. While at the University of Washington, she received a scholarship for Canadian Studies, which ultimately led her to Artic Canada as the focal point of her Ph.D. research.

Specifically, Farquhar wanted to better understand the fishing industry and food security in the community of Nunavik by examining 1) how industrial fishing affects the ecosystem and 2) the social and economic factors influencing access to food.

“I’m trying to combine a food system with an ecosystem and link the two together to understand what might happen to food security at the household level. For example, what if we changed the biomass, or species abundance, available for consumption,” Farquhar explains.

To tackle this large undertaking, Farquhar is developing a system of models informed by the practices, knowledge, and opinions of Nunavik’s indigenous people- the Inuit-, as well as current population estimates of predator and prey species inhabiting Nunavik’s surrounding ecosystems.

She collected this information by hosting community workshops and asking questions like “Where are all the places your household secures food from?”. Their typical answers included places such as the grocery store or community freezer, where hunters can leave excess meat they have harvested. Many families also said they secured food from their own harvests, while others also mentioned their household food sources included places such as soup kitchens, school and day care centers, and even places in neighboring communities.

“This [initial research and data visualization] showed that even though I was working in a really small, remote community, it still has a very complex food system,” she says.

Once workshop participants identified the places from which they secure food, Farquhar presented scenarios for them to rank these sources by importance and preference.

“Imagine you are in a household that has low income, and you don’t have a hunter in your family. What is the first place you get food from? The second? The third? Etc.”

Farquhar used this kind of questioning to lay out different scenarios and reveal insights into their decision-making processes. After all workshops had concluded, she took the information she had gleaned and began to make a computer model. The different food sources, preferences, and scenarios gave the model “rules” to follow and make predictions.

While the resulting model was informative on its own, Farquhar wanted to evaluate the other side of the food system which dealt less with people and their behaviors, and more with the provisions of the ecosystem itself. She collected data from colleagues and previous studies about the local species, as well as what those species produced and consumed, to better understand the area’s natural food web and how the local Inuit population fits into it. By incorporating this ecological data into the model, Farquhar could analyze how changes in animal availability impacted Inuit food sources.

To test her newly updated model, she simulated an extreme scenario where the nearby commercial shrimping industry increased its output by five times.

“[The model] shows us how things will change. In this scenario, the biomass of shrimp decreases significantly, along with other species like salmon and -ones I wasn’t necessarily expecting- narwal and seals. The model reveals both direct and indirect effects on biomass in response to different scenarios. Therefore, if we know there is going to be less of something available for Inuit people to harvest, we can integrate that into the model and future decision-making,” explains Farquhar.

Although the topic can be daunting and complex, Farquhar has enjoyed her work and is happy with the results thus far.

“It’s been cool because I get to do both social science methods- talking to people and gathering information- and then integrating it into an ecological model,” she shares.

While her full analysis is not quite complete, Farquhar notes that her newly developed models suggest biomass availability may matter less than some social factors, such as food access, when it comes to food security in Nunavik.

As she reflects on her time in the Integrated Coastal Sciences Ph.D. program, Farquhar appreciates the challenges and growth that have come from the integrative part of the program.

“The program has made me elastic in the way I think and piece things together. It’s made me comfortable with being uncomfortable and become more creative, even though it took a bit of adapting at first.”

Farquhar will defend her dissertation in late Spring 2025 . In the meantime, she’s already secured an exciting lineup of opportunities. Early in 2025 the newly formed Center for Arctic Study and Policy at the US Coast Guard Academy sent her to represent the US Coast Guard at a conference in Norway. Farquhar serves in the Coast Guard Reserves and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. Additionally, as a recipient of a full Department of Defense scholarship, she will work as a research and development scientist in Washington, D.C., for two years post-graduation.

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The work featured in this article was made possible through a Fulbright Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad (DDRA) grant and collaboration from the Universite Laval. It also would not have been possible without the support and knowledge of community members from Nunavik.

The background photo displays traditional Inuit food. The orange is dried arctic char and the black is dried whale skin. Photo: Meral Jamal

Collaborative Work in the Philippines Continues to Flourish

Five years have passed in the blink of an eye, yet in that span, many wonderful collaborations and partnerships have been built across the world’s oceans.

Dr. David Lagomasino has collaborated with the Fish Right Program since 2019, and this Fall he made his fourth trip to the Philippines for the project. Fish Right is a partnership between the Government of the Philippines and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and is implemented by the Coastal Resources Center (CRC) at the University of Rhode Island (URI). The Fish Right Program was established to improve marine biodiversity and help better manage fisheries in the Philippines. During his years of participation in the program, Lagomasino has helped map coastal habitats and their changes over time and has led workshops for various stakeholders, ranging from community members and local fishers to government agencies and natural resource managers.

The Fish Right Program aims to establish sustainable fisheries for generations to come through avenues such as establishing Marine Protected Areas and mitigating negative environmental and industry impacts. While the project involves a whole host of players, decision makers, and environmental topics, Dr. Lagomasino’s role has focused on ecosystem services and the tools and techniques to map and monitor coastal systems. He collected on-the-ground data to complement satellite imagery for new and future ecological models during his first two trips to the island nation; his third and most recent trips were more about knowledge exchange and local capacity building. In Fall 2024, Integrated Coastal Sciences Ph.D. student Shalimar Moreno joined Lagomasino on the trip to the Philippines.

Together, they, along with URI colleague and CRC Director Dr. JP Walsh, led a 6-day workshop and training for Filipino agencies that focused on remote sensing techniques and data collection and processing. The first two days took place in Manila and provided an overview of remote sensing and Google Earth Engine- a useful, online mapping platform that houses a vast catalog of satellite imagery and geospatial datasets. On days three and four, workshop participants visited the coast to tour the De La Salle University - Br. Alfred Shields FSC Marine Station and collect field data. The group practiced using single-beam sonar, underwater cameras, and drones outfitted with sensors to collect bathymetry data, or information about the profile and habitats of the seafloor.

Upon return from the field each day, workshop participants considered the information they gathered and how it might be useful for generating computer models to help them monitor the ecosystem. This prepared them for the fifth day, which included an overview of the satellite known as ICESat-2, a satellite that uses green lasers to collect information about elevation and water depth. While she served mostly as a research technician and teaching assistant during the first four days of the trip, Moreno took the lead on Day 5. She taught the workshop participants how to access, download, and prepare the crucial ICESat-2 data that held insights for tree cover, canopy height, bathymetry, and more.

On Day 6, the workshop leaders served as moderators, bridging conversations between the different participating Filipino government entities and academic partners, including the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the Philippine Space Agency, the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority, De La Salle University, and the University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute. The time proved productive and highlighted the ways in which the different organizations and agencies could work together to improve overall efficiency. Some had overlapping goals and others had similar data needs.

“It was truly a unique experience to have so many organizations and federal agencies represented during the workshop all in one room. We were learning from them as much as they were learning from us and each other about ecosystem management,” Moreno observed.

In addition to leading activities on the fifth day, Moreno made a set of pre- and post-workshop surveys to better understand what participants gained from the 6-day experience. The information garnered from these surveys will be shared with Fish Right to inform future community collaborations. Additionally, Lagomasino and other Fish Right leaders will attend virtual meetings regularly at least through the spring to keep the momentum built during the workshop going. They hope to offer support and consultation as the group activities grow and evolve, especially as it pertains to ground vs. satellite data.

“The usefulness of satellite remote sensing can easily be seen by the wide variety of applications our team has assisted with. From the rapid assessment of the impacts of Typhoon Yolanda on mangroves forests across country, to mapping land reclamation on the atolls of the contested waters of the West Philippines Sea,” said Lagomasino as he reflected on his collaboration with Fish Right partners

Through the training and subsequent calls, key officials will be able to more efficiently design management areas, regulate human activities, and monitor changes in critical Filipino coastal areas both near and far. Lagomasino and Moreno believe their time in the Philippines was incredibly worthwhile as they continued to build valuable collaborations, and they look forward to future opportunities to share their knowledge and expertise for such a beneficial project.

Open House

East Carolina University’s Integrated Coastal Programs (ECU ICP) and the Coastal Studies Institute (CSI) are hosting their annual Open House from 12:30- 4 PM on May 17, 2025, at the ECU Outer Banks Campus. The public is welcome and encouraged to attend this free event. Attendees will be able to tour the campus, grounds, and facilities, learn about current research and education programs, take part in family-friendly activities, and interact with faculty and staff from ECU, CSI, and our partners.

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 live-streamed on our YouTube channel. Upcoming Science on the Sound events include:

• May 8, 6 PM: See/a/Change: Arts, Science, and the Watershed, a program which connects the arts, sciences, and North Carolina watersheds through a variety of media including music, drama, film, dance, design, and production, presented by students of UNC School of the Arts. Please note, this program will not be live-streamed and is in-person only.
• June 19, 6 PM: Finding Balance: The Outer Banks Long-Range Tourism Management Plan, presented by Lee Nettles and Jeff Schwartzenberg (Outer Banks Visitors Bureau).

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.

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. Questions about Family Programs can be directed to Lauren Kerlin via email or at 252-475-5451.

CSI Summer Camps

The Coastal Studies Institute will once again offer summer day camps in 2025. Each week of camp features a particular theme and runs Monday-Friday, 9 AM- 3:30 PM. We will accept up to 16 campers between the ages of 10-15 years old each week, June 9- August 8, excluding the week of July 4. New in 2025, we will also have one camp for teens ages 13-17 during the week of August 11-15. The registration fee for all camps is $400 per individual.

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ADA Accommodation: 252-737-1018 or ada-coordinator@ecu.edu