Haint Blue

Karly Lohan is a student in the Master of Coastal and Ocean Policy program at UNC Wilmington. She is a 2018 graduate of Salisbury University with a B.S. in Biology. Karly currently works for a local research based non-profit, Plastic Ocean Project, that focuses on collaborative and integrative solutions for the plastic pollution crisis.  Single-use plastics were introduced into the consumer market as luxury items during post WWII and quickly became a staple in American society. Our economy and society have benefited from plastic products in lighter packaging, clothing, construction materials, transportation, medical supplies, food safety, and a variety of other uses. Plastics were marketed as a revolutionary product that saved time, energy, and money and all you had to do was toss it in the trash.  Public perception changed in the 1960’s when plastic pollution was first discovered in the world’s oceans during a climate of wakening environmental activism. Studies conduc...

Paige Copenhaver completed a B.S. in Physics & Astronomy at the University of Georgia and then found a calling in ocean policy and conservation. Her goal is to use her unique interdisciplinary background to work toward protecting the world’s oceanic ecosystems through sustainable international policy solutions for illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing.  A law enforcement officer communicating with fishers on a Chinese vessel during a security check for the Oceania Maritime Security Initiative mission to combat transnational crimes, enforce fisheries laws, and enhance regional security in the Pacific Ocean. Two of this century’s most important issues are the future of the world’s oceans and the rise of China as a global economic and political power. China’s expanding global fishing fleet is at the interface of these two issues. The Chinese fishing industry has exploded in the last 30 years, and China now has the largest fishing fleet in the world with 200,000 to 80...

Michelle Rackley is a masters student in UNC Wilmington’s Coastal and Ocean Policy program. She also received her bachelor's degree at UNCW in Marine Biology. Michelle grew up in Maryland, spending most of her free time boating on the Chesapeake Bay with her family. This is where her passion for conservation began, as she was exposed to the importance of the estuary, as well as the problems facing it. Her experiences inspired her to be a steward for the environment and guided her to pursue a career in conservation and advocacy. A bulkhead to prevent erosion juxtaposed with the living shoreline of the Alligator River Canal by Michelle Lotker Erosion threatens North Carolina’s estuarine coastline, ranging from 2 to 4 feet per year. Erosion is a naturally occurring process due to daily tides, wave and wind energy, and storm events. This process is exacerbated as humans increase wave energy through boat wakes, increase in the building of coastal structures, and as climate change...

Rachel Baker is a student in the Masters of Coastal and Ocean Policy Program at UNCW, where she also graduated from in 2017 with a B.S. in marine biology. As an avid scuba diver with a passion for marine science education, Rachel worked teaching underwater research methods upon graduation until she read more into environmental policy and discovered a newfound passion for applying her natural sciences background to the world of policy. Rachel is now focused on research pertaining to coastal resiliency and wants to spend her career protecting the coastlines of her home state, North Carolina.  Source: yaleclimateconnections.org Coastal wetlands have increasingly faced difficulties in the establishment of adequate protection from rapid coastal development and urbanization. A phenomenon known as the “ coastal squeeze ” is occurring as sea levels rise and people are moving to coastal areas at a disproportionate rate, causing a need for more developments. In fact, even though fifty...

Amelia E. Woodruff is a candidate of the Master of Coastal and Ocean Policy program at UNC Wilmington of the spring graduating class of 2021. She graduated from UNCW in the fall of 2018 with a B.S. in Marine Biology and Environmental Science with concentrations in conservation. Growing up visiting North Carolina Beaches, Amelia has fostered a love for the coast that grew further when she moved to Wilmington for university and began pursuing her SCUBA Instructor certification. Her interests lie in the science and policy of resiliency to natural disasters and climate change, wetland conservation and restoration, as well as fisheries management. The Lucky Amy sits surrounded by less fortunate vessels following hurricane Katrina. Source: cbsnews The coastal region of North Carolina experiences their fair share of damaging hurricanes that cost families, businesses, and ultimately taxpayers billions of dollars. The fishing community is no exception to these expenses, experiencing loss...

Sheryl Brock  is a student in the Masters of Coastal and Ocean Policy program at UNC Wilmington. She graduated from Methodist University in 2019 with a BS in Biology, and Environmental and Occupational Management. Sheryl combines her knowledge of water quality standards and analytical techniques to convey restoration plan capabilities in hopes of interpreting policy implementations to better serve our impaired waters. Brunswick County is known as the fastest growing county in North Carolina , rising from just 1,182 acres to 16,885 acres developed over the past 30 years. As development continues to rise in Brunswick County, North Carolina, so does the percentage of impaired waters in the area; in particular, the Lockwood Folly River. In coordination with the Clean Water Act, the state of North Carolina has issued numerous restoration plans in hopes of rehabilitating the river to a suitable recreational waterbody. Loss of shell fishing revenue and the political backlash from f...

Julia Gerringer is a student in the Master of Coastal and Ocean Policy program at UNC-Wilmington. She is a 2019 graduate from UNC-Wilmington with a bachelors of science in marine biology. Julia has worked as the grant coordinator at The Children’s Museum of Wilmington for almost two years, working on her writing skills and working with kids and their love of STEM. Julia has a passion for marine mammal conservation and community outreach.  In 1972, the U.S. enacted the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), establishing a moratorium on “takings” of marine mammals protecting which includes killing, harassment, hunting or capturing. The two main objectives of the Act are to 1) prevent marine mammals from depleting to a point where they are not functional in their ecosystem and 2) restore diminished populations to their optimum sustainable populations (OSP). When the MMPA was written, it was based on the losses of dolphins from tuna purse seine fishing and the depletion of marine...

David Haun is a student in the Masters of Coastal and Ocean Policy program at UNC Wilmington. He graduated from the Pennsylvania State University in 2019 with a B.S. in biology and a minor in Spanish. In 2018 David interned under Dr. Enrico Gennari in Mossel Bay, South Africa, where he had the opportunity to assist with a great white shark population study. It was during his time in South Africa that David learned about the difficulties surrounding white shark conservation and was inspired to help through research.  In 1991 South Africa became the first nation in the world to enact protective legislation for the great white shark.  However, the current South African great white shark protection measures fall short of their goal by lacking to incorporate shark fisheries management regulations for key prey species.  In 2001 the great white shark gained worldwide notoriety thanks to the work of renowned wildlife photographer and shark conservationist, Chris Fallows. A...

 Georgia Busch is a student in the Masters of Coastal & Ocean Policy Program. She graduated from Randolph-Macon College with a B.S in Environmental Studies in 2012, after which she worked as an environmental education professional for several organizations in Richmond, Virginia. The sustainable aquaculture sector highlights the intersection of her interests in agriculture, food security and climate change resiliency. Using her skills in science communications, advocacy and policy influencing are part of her career goals upon expected graduation in December 2021.  Photo from Lester et al (2018) Aquaculture has exploded as the fastest growing facet of agriculture to supply the growing demand for readily available sources of protein. Because of this rapid growth, it is critical that expansion and development address opportunities for environmental impact and sustainability. Both the public perception of aquaculture-sourced seafood and legislative influence have the pote...

Riley Lewis is a student in the Masters of Coastal and Ocean Policy Program at UNC Wilmington. She received her bachelor’s in marine science and Coastal Management from the University of South Carolina in 2017. Riley is interested in the relationship between the environment and low-income communities and strives to bridge this gap through educating and involving those communities in environmental initiatives . Over the past 10 years, Americans have struggled to afford the increasing cost of drinking water. Increasing costs of municipal water treatment are forcing water rates to rise across the country, including the state of North Carolina. The 6,000 regulated public water utilities in NC serve about three-fourths of the state's population and local scale water utilities are struggling to maintain affordable rates for low-income customers. There is no one true, universal measure of affordability but several ways water prices can be assessed. Utility affordability is the...