Tidal Flat

N.C. Coastal Reserve celebrates Discover the N.C. Coastal Reserve tour with stop at Rachel Carson Reserve

The N.C. Coastal Reserve and National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR), a program of the Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Coastal Management, hosted its third stop on the “Discover the N.C. Coastal Reserve” Tour on May 17 at the Rachel Carson Reserve in Beaufort, NC. The tour began with brief remarks by staff, local and state officials at the chapel at the Beaufort Hotel, followed by a guided boat tour, with a stop at the Carrot Island boardwalk.

Now Hiring!

Work with the N.C. Coastal Reserve! We are hiring a Temporary Field Technician in our Wilmington office and a Temporary Research Technician in our Beaufort office.

N.C. Coastal Reserve celebrates Discover the NC Coastal Reserves tour with stop at Bird Island Reserve

The N.C. Coastal Reserve and National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR), a program of the Division of Coastal Management in the Department of Environmental Quality, hosted a stop on the “Discover the N.C. Coastal Reserve” Tour in early December.

2023 NC Coastal Reserve Accomplishments

We're wrapping up an incredible year of research, education, training, and stewardship at our 10 North Carolina Coastal Reserve & National Estuarine Research Reserve sites.<

Collaborating with Resource Managers to Use Drones to Monitor Oyster Reefs

Through a collaborative research project funded in 2022 by the National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS) Science Collaborative, a team of researchers is assessing the use of uncrewed aircraft systems or drones for monitoring oyster reefs. This multi-reserve undertaking is the “Collaborative Development Of Novel Remote Sensing Workflows For Assessing Oyster Reef Structural And Demographic Characteristics To Inform Management And Restoration”.

Summer 2024 Internship Opportunities

Spread the word! The North Carolina Coastal Reserve & National Estuarine Research Reserve has four internship positions open. Interested applicants can learn more about the Reserve on our website and our social media channels.

Meet our Summer 2023 Interns

This past summer, the reserve had four outstanding interns. They contributed to our mission and learned a lot along the way. Below they each share a bit of advice or memories from their experience.

Sea Turtles at Masonboro Island Reserve 2023

Each nesting season, from May 1 to October 31, N.C. Coastal Reserve and N.C.

American Oystercatcher Monitoring

The North Carolina Coastal Reserve consists of 10 sites. Many birds call at least one of the 10 sites home, while many others use them as resting stops along the Atlantic Flyway.

The Reserve celebrates Marae West, the first North Carolina recipient of the Margaret A. Davidson Graduate Fellowship

In 2020, the North Carolina Coastal Reserve & National Estuarine Research Reserve welcomed its first National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Margaret A. Davidson Graduate Fellowship recipient, Marae West. This month, after four years of fieldwork and data analysis in the midst of the pandemic, Marae will finish her fellowship.