News
Latest News from CSI
Next Science on the Sound Lecture Set for March 30
Dr. Sean Charles measures a mangrove trunk during a recent field campaign in the Everglades.The March 2023 installment of the "Science on the Sound" Lecture Series will be held at 6 pm on March 30 at the Coastal Studies Institute on the ECU Outer Banks Campus. This...
Celebrating 10 Years on the Croatan Sound
Ten years ago this winter, the staff and faculty of the Coastal Studies Institute got a brand-new view. Long before the property was known as the ECU Outer Banks Campus, the 230-acre coastal site was slotted to have multiple single-family homes and a surrounding...
Monitoring our Shifting Shorelines to Improve Coastal Resiliency
As changing climates continue to increase coastal hazards such as sea level rise, large storm events, flooding, and erosion, it is ever more important for communities such as those found along the Outer Banks to heighten their resiliency. But what exactly does that...
Ocean Observing Array Coming Soon to NC
Waters off the coast of Cape Hatteras will soon become the new home of the Ocean Observatories Initiative’s Coastal Pioneer Array, a relocatable ocean observing system designed to be deployed for extended periods of time to collect ocean data. Earlier this week...
CoastLines Winter 2023 Available Now
We are proud to announce the Winter 2023 issue of the ECU Integrated Coastal Programs Newsletter, CoastLines. Stay up to date on the research, education, and outreach programs of ECU ICP and the Coastal Studies Institute.In This Issue Corbett’s CornerSpecial Feature...
First 2023 “Science on the Sound” Happening Jan. 19
The January 2023 installment of the "Science on the Sound" Lecture Series will be held at 6pm on January 19 at the Coastal Studies Institute on the ECU Outer Banks Campus. This monthly, in-person, lecture series brings perspectives from all over the state and...
CSI to Offer Two Public Learning Opportunities During Week of Dec. 5
The Coastal Studies Institute is pleased to offer the public two different, free-of-charge opportunities to learn about coastal research next week. One program will highlight the Capstone research project findings of the 2022 Outer Banks Field Site, while the other...
Digging beneath the impacts of Beach Nourishment with CSI’s Marine Geochemistry and Coastal Dynamics Lab
Written and photographed by Emmy Trivette, OBXFS student and CSI photojournalism intern.Residents of the Outer Banks are not strangers to the idea of pumping sand from offshore dredge sites onto local beaches, a process known as beach nourishment. While these...
November 17 Science on the Sound Event to Feature Dr. Mike Muglia
The Coastal Studies Institute will host the next Science on the Sound lecture on November 17, 2022. This monthly, in-person, lecture series brings perspectives from all over the state and highlights coastal topics in northeastern North Carolina.Dr. Mike Muglia, a...
Did you hear that? ECU Acoustics and Vibrations Lab makes waves on the Outer Banks.
Can an observer on the coast hear a vessel approaching even when it cannot be seen? One might assume the answer is yes, especially as the vessel approaches, but an ongoing study, funded by the Office of Naval Research (ONR), conducted by Dr. Teresa Ryan and the...
Next Science on the Sound Featuring Dr. Chris Oakley Postponed to December 8
Please note, the Science on the Sound event detailed below has been postponed due to illness until December 8, 2022, at 6 PM. Please save this new date to learn more about Dr. Oakley's research.The Coastal Studies Institute will host the next Science on the Sound...
ECU CRM Ph.D. Student Brian Bartlett Leads the Charge on New Fisheries Research Project
How will changing climate impact the range and reproductive success of fish species? According to ECU Coastal Resources Management Ph.D. student Brian Bartlett, that is “the great conservation question” and a driving inquiry of his most recently funded research...
Science on the Sound Makes a Return This Fall
The Coastal Studies Institute is pleased to announce the revival of a beloved favorite, Science on the Sound! This monthly, in-person, lecture series brings perspectives from all over the state and highlights coastal topics in northeastern North Carolina. Dr. Reide...
CoastLines Summer 2022 Available Now
We are proud to announce the Summer 2022 issue of the ECU Integrated Coastal Programs Newsletter, CoastLines. Stay up to date on the research, education, and outreach programs of ECU ICP and the Coastal Studies Institute.In This Issue Corbett’s CornerStudent Section...
CSI to Host First BioBlitz on ECU Outer Banks Campus in Late October
The Coastal Studies Institute will be hosting its first BioBlitz on the ECU Outer Banks Campus on October 22, 2022, from 10 AM-1 PM. This event is an opportunity for the community to come together to document the biodiversity represented at the Coastal Studies...
A Summer to Remember: REU Students Thrive at the Coast
The ocean is warm, and the sun is out, but that doesn’t mean that undergraduate research stops during the summer on the ECU Outer Banks campus. This season, a Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) cohort traveled to Roanoke Island from all over the United...
All Aboard the Intern-ship
This spring, five students enrolled in East Carolina University’s (ECU) Semester Experience at the Coast participated in internships across our coastal community. Each undergraduate brought their own unique perspective to a job directly related to coastal science. Not...
CSI Open House To Be Held June 4
Spend June 4th on Roanoke Island! Check out Dare Days in Manteo, grab some lunch in town, then come on over to the beautiful ECU Outer Banks Campus for the highly-anticipated revival of the Coastal Studies Institute’s annual Open House.After a two-year hiatus, CSI’s...
Integrated Coastal Programs Awards Three Scholarships for Coastal and Marine Sciences
ECU’s Integrated Coastal Programs (ICP) wishes to congratulate the 2022 recipients of the Mary Ferebee Howard Scholarship in Marine Studies. Each year the scholarship is awarded to at least one full-time graduate student focused on coastal and marine sciences who not...
And The Award Goes To… Waves to Water Prize Announces Winners
After a successful, albeit different than expected, DRINK Finale, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced the winners of the Waves to Water Prize- a competition designed to accelerate the development of small, modular, wave-energy-powered desalination...
A Waves to Water Prize DRINK Finale Update
A Successful DeploymentBrandon Poythress of Mark Zero Prototypes watches as his team's device is lifted over the pier railing and lowered to the sea surface.On April 3, 2022, all four devices entered in the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Waves to Water Prize...
It’s Time To Make a Splash! Waves To Water Prize Deployments Start April 3
The Waves to Water Prize finalists have arrived on the Outer Banks with their wave-powered water makers, and the wait to dive in is finally over. That’s right, the DRINK Finale is here! The devices will be deployed at Jennette’s Pier tomorrow, Sunday, April 3, where...
Waves to Water Prize Wave Energy Device Viewing- You’re Invited!
If you’ve ever wondered what it takes to create a renewable energy device that creates clean drinking water, now’s your chance to find out! As a partner and final DRINK stage host of the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Waves to Water Prize, the Coastal Studies...
ECU coastal researchers co-author paper detailing how satellites help monitor wet carbon systems
While carbon is an essential element to life on Earth, carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere have significantly increased within the last two centuries due to anthropogenic activities such as deforestation and the use of fossil fuels or deforestation. This rise...
The Final Countdown to the Waves to Water Prize Drink Stage Finale Is On!
It’s the final countdown. Showtime. The home stretch. The finish line is near. However you’d like to phrase it, the Waves to Water Prize DRINK Finale is just around the corner. In just one month, the remaining four teams will arrive in the Outer Banks to put their...
CoastLines Winter 2022 Available Now
We are proud to announce the Winter 2022 issue of the ECU Integrated Coastal Programs Newsletter, CoastLines. Stay up to date on the research, education, and outreach programs of ECU ICP and the Coastal Studies Institute.In This Issue Corbett’s Corner Thanks and...
CSI receives $5K Education Grant from Dominion Energy, Spring to Bring Many Renewable Energy Program Opportunities
As the lead organization of the North Carolina Renewable Ocean Energy Program (NCROEP), the Coastal Studies Institute is committed to a cleaner, greener – or in this case, bluer- tomorrow. In addition to the projects NCROEP supports, CSI hosts a variety of educational...
New Episode of Meet the Scientist Streams January 26
Have you ever wondered what it takes to be a scientist? Or are you curious about what research takes place on the ECU Outer Banks Campus? If you answered “YES!” to either of these questions, you should tune in to our monthly, live-streamed video series Meet the...
New Scholarship Created in Memoriam of Anja Sjostrom
Anja Sjostrom was a bright up-and-coming scholar that was taken too soon from the ECU and CSI family. Her work embodied CSI's Mission. In her own words, she wanted "... to work with partners across multiple research institutions, agencies, and communities on complex...
CSI Seeks Applicants for DOE Energy Transitions Initiative Partnership Project
Does your island or remote community experience unique energy challenges such as frequent energy disruptions, threats to energy infrastructure from natural hazards, and high energy costs? As a regional partner of the U.S Department of Energy’s (DOE) Energy Transitions...
Lunching and Learning: CSI Faculty, Staff, and Students Come Together for Brown Bag Lunches
60-degree days in December? We’ll take them! Faculty, staff, and students enjoyed favorable weather conditions for the Coastal Studies Institute’s two most recent Brown Bag Lunches. During the first December session, Dr. Sid Mitra led a discussion called “Buzz: The...
Outer Banks Field Site Presents Capstone Research In Buxton
The Outer Banks Field Site is a semester-long, interdisciplinary residential learning experience for UNC-Chapel Hill undergraduate students hosted by the Coastal Studies Institute (CSI) on the East Carolina University (ECU) Outer Banks Campus. Each fall, students from...
Semester Experience at the Coast Sailing Toward New Horizons
This Spring, ECU’s Outer Banks campus will host its third cohort of students to participate in the Semester Experience at the Coast program. While the undergraduate residential program is held each spring, much of the fall semester is spent coordinating and promoting...
Meet the Scientist Turns 1, Next InstallmenT Featuring Dr. Lela Schlenker Streams Nov. 18
Happy 1st Birthday, MTS! While 2020 threw us many curveballs, it also gave the CSI Education and Outreach team the chance to evaluate its current programming and the opportunity to create new content. One such program that was born from those trying times was CSI's...
CSI a Founding Partner of New Atlantic Marine Energy Center
It is no secret that the Coastal Studies Institute’s partnerships reach across the world. These partnerships contribute, at least in part, to the success of the institution, and CSI’s newest collaborative endeavor does not fall short of these lofty expectations. Late...
New Research Highlight Video: Long-term Impacts of Beach Nourishment on Shoreline Ecosystems
Beach replenishment is the practice of rebuilding and restoring the eroded beach back to some previous elevation and extent, has become one of the most popular solutions for coastal communities who face the growing problem of chronic beach erosion. . Sandy beaches...
Integrated Coastal Programs Celebrates Latinx Heritage Month
Known nationally as Hispanic Heritage Month, September 15- October 15 has been set aside each year to celebrate diverse Latin cultures and backgrounds, as well as the contributions of the Latinx community to American and global societies. More recently and popularly...
Postdoc Zaid Al-Attabi And Colleagues Publish New HF Radar Study
Featured photo: Al-Attabi and his colleagues used Doppler spectrum data from two HF radar systems located at the north coast of Cornwall, UK, as well as data from a directional wave buoy deployed off the north coast of Cornwall. The system has measured surface...
Bonner Selected as 2021-2022 Veterans Advanced Energy Fellow
The Atlantic Council's Veterans Advanced Energy Project recently announced the 2021-2022 cohort of Veteran Advanced Energy Fellows, and CSI is thrilled to share that George Bonner, Director of the North Carolina Renewable Ocean Energy Program at the Coastal Studies...
CoastLines Fall 2021 – ECU Integrated Coastal Programs Newsletter
Welcome ECU to the Fall 2021 semester! It’s an exciting time to be a Pirate! As the semester really ramps up, sometimes we need a little lift, a spring in our step, a quick break…well, let us help! Check out some of the exciting happenings and how you can get...
Newly Installed Water Level Sensors Can Help OBX Citizens Prepare For Flooding
For those who live on the Outer Banks, the words soundside flooding can carry heavy weight. As large storm events threaten coastal North Carolina, storm surge, and even high tides, can have a significant impact, particularly along the shores of the eight sounds of the...
Faculty Highlight: Dr. Nadine Heck
How does one choose a career when interested in so many different things? That is a question that Dr. Nadine Heck, Assistant Professor in the Department of Coastal Studies, once had to answer. Dr. Heck grew up in Germany on Lake Constance – an inland “ocean” bordered...
CSI Internship OPENS Doors for ECU Student
An internship reflection by Cora McQuaid.I spent the past 8 months at the Coastal Studies Institute (CSI) in Manteo, North Carolina. As a freshman in East Carolina University’s “Semester at the Coast Program” I took an in-person field-based course on physical...
CSI Summer Camps See Successful Return
After a hiatus in 2020, the CSI summer camps were back and better than ever this summer! Each of the four sessions offered was quick to fill with 12-13 campers from all over the US. About one-third of the students attending each week were from the Outer Banks, while...
NCROEP Summer Internship Is Worthwhile Experience
An internship reflection by Vega Sproul.Over the past twelve weeks, I have had the pleasure of interning at CSI under George Bonner, Director of the North Carolina Renewable Ocean Energy Program (NCROEP).My role under George was ultimately to ultimately learn as much...
A Special Edition of Meet the Scientist Airs July 15
Have you ever wondered what it takes to be a scientist? Or are you curious about what research takes place on the ECU Outer Banks Campus? If you answered “YES!” to either of these questions, you should tune in to our monthly, live-streamed video series Meet the...
Mangrove forest study has takeaways for coastal communities
By Matt Smith (ECU News Services, Division of Research, Economic Development and Engagement). Photo: Despite resilient grow back in the past, Lagomasino and his research team estimate that nearly 11,000 hectares of mangrove forest, about 27,000 acres, failed to regrow...
Jennette’s Pier and CSI Use Spotter Buoys to Enhance Wave Energy Development
By Vega Sproul and Cora McQuaid.The Coastal Studies Institute has an ongoing relationship with NC Aquariums’ Jennette’s Pier for many years. Located just five miles apart, CSI, in partnership with Jennette’s Pier, operates a renewable ocean energy testing site at the...
NCROEP Researchers From NC State CORE Lab Test Underwater Kites
The North Carolina Renewable Ocean Energy Program (NCROEP) promotes collaborative research across its partner institutions, and there is currently a lot of excitement surrounding an ongoing project in the Control and Optimization for Renewables and Energy Efficiency...
Students Reflect on Their Semester Experiences at the Coast
In January 2021, sixteen ECU students arrived at the ECU Outer Banks Campus for the second annual Semester Experience at the Coast. In his welcome address to the students, Dean Reide Corbett emphasized the unique opportunity they had to take face-to-face courses on...