Geological characteristics and spatial distribution of paleo-inlet channels beneath the outer banks barrier islands, North Carolina, USA

2010 ◽  
Vol 88 (2) ◽  
pp. 175-189 ◽  
Author(s):  
David J. Mallinson ◽  
Curtis W. Smith ◽  
Stephen J. Culver ◽  
Stanley R. Riggs ◽  
Dorothea Ames
2006 ◽  
Vol 63 (4) ◽  
pp. 858-871 ◽  
Author(s):  
David A Medici ◽  
Thomas G Wolcott ◽  
Donna L Wolcott

Little is known about the migration of female crabs (Callinectes sapidus) to spawning grounds, or how effectively they are protected by North Carolina's “spawning sanctuaries.” To investigate migration, we tagged and released a total of 2700 mature female crabs in the fall of 2001 and the summer and fall of 2002 in the three tributaries of Pamlico Sound. Tag returns indicate that females begin migration during September to November and that they probably do not complete it until the next spring. To assess site fidelity and protection of females by spawning sanctuaries, 398 tagged adult females were released in or near sanctuaries at Ocracoke and Hatteras inlets. Most recaptures occurred near the barrier islands (Outer Banks), suggesting that mobility declines once females reach euhaline waters, but recapture data also showed that crabs move over scales larger than sanctuaries and derive only temporary protection by entering sanctuaries. Ovigerous females fitted with ultrasonic pingers were tracked after release inside the boundary of Ocracoke spawning sanctuary. Crabs with orange (new) egg masses meandered over small areas, but those with eggs approaching hatching moved directly seaward. Apparently spawning sanctuaries must be large to be effective; where this is not practical (as in North Carolina), other strategies should be considered.


Author(s):  
Liliana Velasquez-Montoya ◽  
Elizabeth J. Sciaudone ◽  
Margery F. Overton

This study aims to assess the effects of a new inlet on the hydrodynamics of a semi-permanent tidal inlet and the back-barrier sound. Research on dual-inlet interactions is motivated by the increased vulnerability of barrier islands to breaching during hurricanes, phenomenon that can have important consequences on the hydrodynamics and morphology of a barrier island system with pre-existing inlets. This particular study takes place in the northern Outer Banks of North Carolina, where Oregon Inlet is the main inlet connecting the Atlantic Ocean with the Albemarle-Pamlico Sound. During Hurricane Irene in 2011, Pea Island – the island south of Oregon Inlet – was breached creating a new inlet that remained open until 2013. Dual-inlet interactions between Oregon Inlet and the new inlet in Pea Island are analyzed by means of numerical modeling experiments. Changes in flow velocities, water levels, and the tidal prism of Oregon Inlet due to the new inlet are computed for different wave and water level conditions. In addition to the actual inlet that opened in 2011, the effects of idealized inlets with different geometries and location are also included in this study. Results indicate that the original breach in Pea Island did not modify the dynamics of Oregon Inlet. Instead, its effects were restricted to a 5 km radius that extended mostly into the sound. The relative small size of the breach and its distance from Oregon Inlet are the two main factors that prevented dual-inlet interaction. Exploration of idealized breaching scenarios in Pea Island suggests that inlet spacing and breaching geometry play a major role in multiple inlet stability theory.


Author(s):  
Mary Paul Meletiou ◽  
Judson J. Lawrie ◽  
Thomas J. Cook ◽  
Sarah W. O'Brien ◽  
John Guenther

The northern Outer Banks coastal area in North Carolina is well suited to drawing bicycle tourism because of its geography, climate, and attractions. In 2003, the North Carolina Department of Transportation commissioned a study to examine the value of public investment in bicycle facilities that have been constructed in this area over the past 10 years at a cost of approximately $6.7 million. A particular challenge in conducting this study was that tourists visited the Outer Banks for a variety of reasons, not just for cycling. Thus, the collection of information on the amount and nature of bicycling activity and on the spending patterns of bicyclists in the area was critical for the development of an economic impact analysis. Researchers surveyed cyclists using the bicycle facilities (shared-use paths and wide paved shoulders) and obtained data from self-administered surveys of tourists at visitor centers during the primary tourist season. The data collected were then used to determine the economic impact of bicycling visitors to the area. Seventeen percent of tourists to the area reported that they bicycled while there; this translates to 680,000 people annually. The economic impact of bicycling visitors is significant: a conservative annual estimate is $60 million, with 1,407 jobs created or supported per year. This is almost nine times greater than the one-time expenditure required to construct the facilities. Continued investment in bicycle facilities is expected to increase this favorable economic impact and is therefore recommended.


1959 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 331-332
Author(s):  
Ruby C. Glockler
Keyword(s):  

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