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...
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...
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...
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...
Spending only a brief time on land, sea turtles are quite different from most other turtles we know. From hatchling to adult, a lifetime at sea is no small task for these reptiles that grow so big. Join Natural Science Curator Keith Rittmaster on World...
Spending only a brief time on land, sea turtles are quite different from most other turtles we know. From hatchling to adult, a lifetime at sea is no small task for these reptiles that grow so big. Join the museum educators in the auditorium on...
Lead is a soft and malleable metal that has been used for thousands of years as a writing surface for stamps, seals, and inscriptions, as well as an unintentional repository for tool marks and other signs of human workmanship. Like any other metal, lead can...
The oceans truly connect us all, from pole to pole and around the equator. The legend of the mermaid is a great representation of that connection, one that binds seafarers the world over. A half-human, half-fish creature has appeared in many cultures throughout time and...
Who would ever have known that the sport of surfing has been taking place in North Carolina for more than a hundred years? Join Education Curator Benjamin Wunderly in the museum auditorium for a look at the state’s role in the history of the sport...
Ranked amongst the fiercest pirates from the “Golden age of Piracy,” Anne Bonny and Mary Read have stories that daytime TV series could only aspire to. This presentation by Associate Education Curator Christine Brin may not be appropriate for younger children as topics of adultery...