. Coast watch. Marine resources; Oceanography; Coastal zone management; Coastal ecology. where the fish was caught and its weight and length. If you would like to help researchers, you may get a free tagging kit by con- tacting Jim Bahen at the North Carolina Marine Resources Center at Fort Fisher. Xhose sure-footed off- road vehicles (ORVs) can make tracks almost anywhere. And that, ac- cording to some people in Nags Head, is just the trouble. Since 1974, Nags Head has regulated the use of ORVs on the town's beaches and barrier dunes. Residents hoped that the rules would protect the grasses t
. Coast watch. Marine resources; Oceanography; Coastal zone management; Coastal ecology. where the fish was caught and its weight and length. If you would like to help researchers, you may get a free tagging kit by con- tacting Jim Bahen at the North Carolina Marine Resources Center at Fort Fisher. Xhose sure-footed off- road vehicles (ORVs) can make tracks almost anywhere. And that, ac- cording to some people in Nags Head, is just the trouble. Since 1974, Nags Head has regulated the use of ORVs on the town's beaches and barrier dunes. Residents hoped that the rules would protect the grasses that help anchor the dunes and stabilize the shoreline. This summer, after citizens had once again met and voiced concern over ORVs, Nags Head lopped a month off each end of its beach-driving season, leaving only the months between Oct. 1 and May 1 open to beach traffic. After hearing an earful of pros and cons about ORVs, the town's com- missioners decided that some scientific know-how might help settle the debate. That's where Paul Hosier came in. Hosier, a Sea Grant researcher, has been studying the effects of ORVs on the grasses and dunes at Cape Hat- teras. He has found that, although stands of dune grass can recover from occasional traffic, constant or regular tramplings quickly kill the grasses and bare the dunes to the wind. Hosier is trying to determine exactly how much driving the grasses can stand. Nags Head asked Hosier to expand his research to include a two-mile stretch of beach at the town's southern end, an area the commissioners made off-limits to ORVs. The protected stretch is adjacent to some well- traveled shoreline near one of the town's beach-access ramps. With samples from both protected Continued on next page. Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that may have been digitally enhanced for readability - coloration and appearance of these illustrations may not perfectly resemble the original UNC Sea Grant College Progra
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookcollectionunclibra, booksubjectoceanography
