Overview

Northeast North Carolina is home to a growing tourist industry, a diverse fishing industry, and a wealth of natural resources.  Northeast North Carolina is generally less than 10 meters above sea level, and makes up one of the largest areas of wetland resources on the Atlantic Coast, including salt marshes, swamp forests, freshwater marshes ,bogs, and swamps.  These wetlands are important to communities.  They provide nursery grounds for fisheries, storm buffering, and erosion control.  These natural resources also support a healthy tourist economy and outdoor recreation industry, as well as supporting a cultural tradition of recreational and commercial fishing.  Coastal communities are in an increasingly vulnerable situation due to the effects of coastal hazards.  Actions such as wetland restoration and oyster reef construction can have a positive effect in protecting the shoreline.  Now, is the time to map out the risks to North Carolina’s northern coastline and give communities a tool to help reduce risk from coastal hazards.

Socioeconomic

Outer Banks, NC provides tourism and recreation for beach goers. Photo Credit: Kate Murray

Tourism is an economic engine in the region. In peak tourist season the population of Dare County increases from about 30,000 to 200,000.  In 2012, those tourists pumped nearly 20 billion dollars into the local economy.  Since a healthy environment drives a healthy local economy, keeping natural resources healthy is vital to tourism.  In addition to tourism, many people choose to make their permanent home in the area.  But, critical infrastructure such as hospitals, schools and roads are at risk from storm related hazards putting people and property at risk.

North Carolina has one of the most diverse fishing industries in the country.  The fishing industry – both commercial and recreational – plays a major factor in the coastal economy. From 2009 to 2013, North Carolina’s commercial landings ranged in value from $71 million to $79 million annually.  The fishing industry is also a cultural identity and way of life to many.  For some native residents and their families, this tradition goes back more than 200 years.  The industry is under threat from natural hazards that can damage critical infrastructure such as bridges, roads, and waterfronts used to dock and move goods.  Increases in development threaten water quality, which can negatively affect oyster and wetland habitats.

Commercial fishing vessel in Hyde County, NC. This region has one of the most diverse fishing industries in the country. Photo Credit: AaronMcCall/The Nature Conservancy

Habitats and Species

Speckled trout and Red drum are two fish species very popular with recreation fishermen in coastal North Carolina. Photo credit: Aaron McCall/The Nature Conservancy

The Albemarle Sound is one of the largest coastal bodies of freshwater in the United States and among all of North Carolina’s low salinity areas, it is of prime importance in the production of anadromous fish, which spend most of their lives in saltwater but migrate into freshwater to lay their eggs.  It is a critical fish corridor for adult herring, as well as striped bass and Atlantic sturgeon, which enter the estuary in late winter and make their way to freshwater spawning areas in nearby rivers and creeks.  These species have been traditional fisheries of the Albemarle region for many years.

Brackish marshes line the eastern edge of the Albemarle and Pamlico sounds and provide many benefits to communities.  Areas fringing these brackish marshes support submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV), and account for much of the available shallow habitat behind the Outer Banks.

Brackish marshes line the eastern edge of the Albemarle and Pamlico sounds and provide many benefits to communities. Photo Credit: AaronMcCall/The Nature Conservancy

Both SAV beds and marshes provide important habitat for many fish and shellfish, including juvenile blue crabs and finfish species such as spotted sea trout, shad, spot, croaker, weakfish, red drum, striped bass, and white perch.  Many other species of fish and shellfish use these habitats for shelter and as a place to find food.  As coastal areas continue to experience increases in flooding, erosion and development, the potential for more harm to these natural areas and their ability to provide benefits to communities is compromised.

Shellfish beds are an important habitat in the Pamlico Sound.  Oysters and clams attach to gravel and old shells on the shoreline, forming spiky oyster beds that help protect the land from erosion.  Blue and stone crabs and grass shrimp hatch in the oyster beds and begin to grow there, eating phytoplankton.  In addition, black sea bass and flounder forage for food among the oysters.  However, shellfish habitats have declined dramatically.  Major threats include nutrient and toxic pollution, altered freshwater flows, exotic invasive species, overfishing, and physical disturbances such as dredging.

Oysters are an important resource to the area. Photo Credit: Debbie Crane, The Nature Conservancy