An upcoming presentation at the museum will focus on the work by a team to document the existence and importance of right whales, as well as their plight, off our state’s coast. North Atlantic Right Whale aerial observers with the Clearwater (Fla.) Marine Aquarium Research Institute...
For generations, North Carolina’s oyster industry was underdeveloped. This changed in the late 19th century when North Carolina oyster beds attracted attention following overharvesting in the Chesapeake Bay and the nation’s insatiable appetite for oysters. By the late 1880s, North Carolina oystermen and fish dealers...
The menhaden industry of North Carolina, which began in 1865 and ended in 2005, is one of the State’s most thoroughly documented fisheries. Unfortunately, the industry’s origins have never been thoroughly explored. Due to a reliance on two primary sources, scholars have assumed that there...
North Carolina’s shrimp industry slowly emerged in the Lower Cape Fear region during the 19th century. However, it did not take-off until the years leading up to World War I when Scandinavian immigrants introduced the otter trawl to Brunswick County. Following the introduction of the...
Today we might imagine saltwater sport fishing in North Carolina as one where sport fishers pursue large sailfish and marlin offshore aboard fiberglass sport fishing boats. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, recreational fishermen could only dream of catching such fish. Instead, recreational fishermen...
Summer Science School offers students the opportunity to learn about the natural and maritime history of coastal North Carolina during the school break. Programs are planned for students of varying ages, from those entering preschool up to rising sophomores. Click here for a full list...
Sharks are some of the most fascinating, ecologically important, threatened, and misunderstood animals on Earth. Join award-winning marine biologist Dr. David Shiffman in the museum auditorium for a free presentation on how—and why—we should protect these mysterious, misunderstood guardians of the ocean. Copies of his...
Students entering grades 7 through 10 will learn more in depth the importance of estuaries and coastal processes in this three-day camp that includes a field trip to the Rachel Carson Reserve, plankton observing, squid dissections, bird watching, and many more hands-on scientific experiments. Cost...
Students entering grades 7 through 10 will learn more in depth the importance of estuaries and coastal processes in this three-day camp that includes a field trip to the Rachel Carson Reserve, plankton observing, squid dissections, bird watching, and many more hands-on scientific experiments. Class is...
North Carolina has many species of whales that travel near our shores and sometimes strand on our beaches. This makes it ideal for scientists to study and promote the conservation and understanding of these endangered marine mammals. Join Natural Science Curator Keith Rittmaster to learn...