. Coast watch. Marine resources; Oceanography; Coastal zone management; Coastal ecology. PEOPLE & PLACES North Carolina Estuanum Showcases Sights and Sounds of an Ecosystem A By Ann Green • Photographs by Scott D. Taylor motorists rush across eastern North Caro- lina to the barrier island beaches, they often forget about the magic and mystique of swamps, rivers and sounds. Along the dark, winding Tar River, frogs croak on the muddy banks. Further down on the brackish Pamlico River, osprey whistle over the thick, tall rushes. Underneath the shallow waters of the Pamlico Sound, speckled trou
. Coast watch. Marine resources; Oceanography; Coastal zone management; Coastal ecology. PEOPLE & PLACES North Carolina Estuanum Showcases Sights and Sounds of an Ecosystem A By Ann Green • Photographs by Scott D. Taylor motorists rush across eastern North Caro- lina to the barrier island beaches, they often forget about the magic and mystique of swamps, rivers and sounds. Along the dark, winding Tar River, frogs croak on the muddy banks. Further down on the brackish Pamlico River, osprey whistle over the thick, tall rushes. Underneath the shallow waters of the Pamlico Sound, speckled trout chatter and purr when calling for mates. The bountiful marine life and plants are part of the vast ecosystem of the Albemarle-Pamlico estuarine system, which includes the Albemarle and Pamlico sounds and the surrounding waterways and tributaries. The system stretches over million acres of water, making it the second largest estuarine system in the United States after the Chesapeake Bay. More than 90 percent of the seafood caught by North Carolina fishers spends at least part of its life in estuaries. The North Carolina Estuarium showcases the sights and sounds of the. The North Carolina Estuarium offers a glimpse into a unique region. ecosystem and demonstrates how human life impacts the system. Located in downtown Washington on a picturesque site overlooking the Pamlico River, the 12,500-square-foot facility opened in January 1998. It is the first aquarium in North Carolina to focus exclusively on the state's estuaries. The only other estuarium in the United States is at the Dauphin Island Sea Laboratory near Mobile, Ala. The North Carolina facility is operated by the Partnership for the Sounds, a nonprofit group striving to build a prosperous economic base for the Albemarle-Pamlico region by promoting ecotourism and environmental education. To encourage the protection of North Carolina's estuarine system, the building is packed with a variety of educational experience
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookcollectionunclibra, booksubjectoceanography
