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A report from the 2023 South Atlantic Sea Grant Regional Resilience Workshop. The objective of the workshop was to share ideas, challenges, and opportunities across Sea Grants in the region with the aim to improve resiliency programs.

This lesson plan for 1st to 5th grade students is designed to pair with South Carolina Sea Grant’s Freshwater and Saltwater Fish Printing Kits, which are free to borrow to any South Carolina K-12, nonformal, or homeschool educator.

Agency News: Consortium Welcomes New Staff, Consortium Generated Nearly $13M Economic Impact in S.C. and FL in FY22-23, Consortium Wins Three National Awards.

This lesson plan for 4th and 5th grade students is an engaging look at South Carolina’s native turtle species.

Education News: NOAA Young Changemakers Fellowship, From Seeds to Shoreline Educator Trainings, Palmetto Environmental Education Certification 2024 – 2026 Cohort, Marine Debris: From Micro to Macro Educator Workshop, All Booked Up Coastal Reading Club.

Agency News: Consortium Welcomes Murphy as Public Information Coordinator, Consortium Awards $300K to Research Contaminants of Emerging Concern, Five Graduate from Commercial Seafood Apprenticeship Program, New Program Introduces Educators and Students to Marine Industry Careers, Publications of Interest.

Agency News: Coastal Heritage Wins Notable State Document Award, Forested Wetlands Conference a Success, Consortium Assists City of Folly Beach with Update to SLR Report, Pilot Education Program Connects Restoration with Fisheries.

Education News: Palmetto Environmental Education Certification 2024 – 2026 Cohort Application Period Opens, All Booked Up Coastal Reading Club, Environmental Education Association of South Carolina Annual Conference, National Marine Educators Association Conference, Ocean Odyssey Coastliner Program, From Seeds to Shoreline Educator Trainings.

Education News: New Resource! The Watershed Game Loaner Kit Program, Palmetto Environmental Education Certification 2024 – 2026 Cohort Information Sessions, Brush Up on Nature: Journaling in Urban Environments, Environmental Education Association of South Carolina Annual Conference, National Marine Educators Association Conference, Ocean Odyssey Coastliner Program, From Seeds to Shoreline Educator Trainings, Microplastics: Tiny Pieces…Big Impacts Educator Workshop.

This special edition of the Journal of South Carolina Water Resources highlights papers related to the popular Water Chats webinar series launched in 2022. Water Chats aims to deliver timely water quality information about protecting and restoring the quality of South Carolina’s water resources.

This fact sheet goes over the increasingly common issue of summer mortality events in North and South Carolina. Learn what to do when a mortality event occurs and who to contact to report such events.

The efforts of the South Carolina Sea Grant Consortium inject millions of dollars annually into local communities throughout South Carolina as well as the broader Southeastern United States. This report details the Consortium’s economic impact.

A 2023 update of the 2017 City of Folly Beach Sea Level Rise Adaptation Plan. It includes recent climate data, as well as new infrastructure and drainage projects and policy updates.

Education News: Celebrating Black History Month, Palmetto Environmental Education Certification 2024 – 2026 Cohort Dates Announced, Environmental Education Association of South Carolina Annual Conference, Ocean Odyssey Coastliner Program, BioDiscovery Project Educator Training, Coastal Conservation Summer Student Internship.

Agency News: Consortium Board of Directors Elect Chair and Vice-Chair, Bell Wins S.C. Environmental Awareness Award, Consortium-Nominated Knauss Fellows Matched with Host Agencies.

Education News: The Watershed Game Training, Ocean Odyssey Coastliner Program, Save-the-Date: BioDiscovery Project Educator Training.

Carolina bays have long captured the human imagination. From asteroids to whale wallows to melting glaciers, origin stories of these unique elliptical depressions found throughout the Atlantic Coastal Plain continue to provide intrigue.

Agency News: Consortium Welcomes Three Staff Members, Consortium Logs 103 Impacts and Accomplishments in Annual Report, Registration Open for Conference on Forested Wetlands, Notable Research at Member Institutions.

News Stories: Consortium Welcomes Four Staff Members, Second CoastSnap Station Documents Shoreline Change, Registration Open for Conference on Forested Wetlands, All Booked Up Coastal Reading Club.

Education News: Educator Science Café – Career Connections: Sailing the High Seas, Something Very Fishy: Elementary Teaching Resources for Ocean and Climate Literacy, Coastal Heritage Magazine and Curriculum Connection, NOAA Fisheries Threatened and Endangered Species Student Art Contest, College of Charleston STEM Education Day.

South Carolina’s Nikky Finney writes toward place—incorporating environment, Black history, generational histories, social justice, and culture into her work.

Education News: Teachers on the Estuary, Something Very Fishy, Educator Science Café, Marvelous Migrating Monarchs, South Carolina Marine Educators Association Annual Conference, NOAA Fisheries Threatened and Endangered Species Student Art Contest, College of Charleston STEM Education Day.

News Stories: Consortium Awarded $375,000 to Develop Seafood Training Program and Workforce Development Opportunity, Consortium Supports Expansion of South Carolina Clean Marina Program with Certification Workshop, Teachers Bring Salt Marsh to the Classroom During From Seeds to Shoreline Workshops, Altman, Nesbitt, and Quintrell Named as 2024 Knauss Fellows.

During 2021 and 2022, over 2,000 people in South Carolina, Georgia, and North Carolina were engaged in two surveys to understand their seafood buying habits and motivations. Based on the survey results, this fact sheet helps crab producers understand consumer preferences.

During 2021 and 2022, over 2,000 people in South Carolina, Georgia, and North Carolina were engaged in two surveys to understand their seafood buying habits and motivations. Based on the survey results, this fact sheet helps crab producers understand consumer preferences.

During 2021 and 2022, over 2,000 people in South Carolina, Georgia, and North Carolina were engaged in two surveys to understand their seafood buying habits and motivations. Based on the survey results, this fact sheet helps crab producers understand consumer preferences.

During 2021 and 2022, over 2,000 people in South Carolina, Georgia, and North Carolina were engaged in two surveys to understand their seafood buying habits and motivations. Based on the survey results, this fact sheet helps clam producers understand consumer preferences.

Designed to work with the From Seeds to Shoreline curriculum, this educator lesson plan walks teachers through the process of making paper from ungerminated Spartina seeds.

Education News: Teachers on the Estuary Watershed Connections, Something Very Fishy: Elementary Teaching Resources for Ocean and Climate Literacy, Southeastern Region Ocean Acidification Listening Session (Archived), Career Connections: Sailing the High Seas.

News Stories: Undergraduate Students Work Toward a More Resilient Future, Symposium Features the Value of Blue Carbon, Consortium Assists Underserved Community to Assess Flood Risk and Water Quality, All Booked Up Coastal Reading Club.

Education News: From Seeds to Shoreline® Workshops, New Issue of Coastal Heritage Magazine, All Booked Up Coastal Reading Club, Grant Opportunities.

A fact sheet describing the recorded impacts of the award-winning 2022 Water Chats …

News Stories: Consortium Promotes Bolger to Grants Manager, Consortium Awards $2.6M to USC for Natural Alternatives to Plastics Study, Consortium Receives $600K for Marine Debris Prevention and Removal, Water Chats Program Wins Prestigious National Award, Educators Discover Underwater Creatures on Bioracks.

Education News: Seining, Seashells, and Sharks Teeth, EEASC Conference, From Seeds to Shoreline® Workshops, All Booked Up Coastal Reading Club, Teachers on the Estuary Workshop, EEASC Annual Environmental Awards, S.C. Department of Natural Resources Education Needs Assessment.

Curbing flooding, encouraging native species, and reducing stormwater runoff through native-plant landscaping and the understanding of how water moves. By mimicking local ecosystems, green spaces attract native wildlife while also mitigating flood risks.

Education News: S.C. Sea Grant Earth Day Challenge, Clemson 4-H20 Summer Camp, Employment Opportunities, EEASC Conference, From Seeds to Shoreline® Workshops, All Booked Up Coastal Reading Club, Teachers on the Estuary Workshop, EEASC Annual Environmental Awards.

News Stories: Consortium Promotes Knapp to Coastal Resilience Program Manager, Blue Carbon Law Symposium Scheduled for May 17-18, 2023, Water Chats Webinar Series Concludes, Planning for 2023 Underway, New Book Club Expands Horizons, Builds Community.

Education News: S.C. Sea Grant Earth Day Challenge, My Ocean Science Journals, EEASC Conference, From Seeds to Shoreline® Workshops, EEASC Annual Environmental Awards.

A chart for consumers showing which seafood is in season in South Carolina throughout the year.

News Stories: Gorstein Elected to Sea Grant Extension Executive Committee, Consortium Awarded $500K to Study Feasibility of Applying Dredge Material to Marsh, Contaminants of Emerging Concern are Focus of $400K Grant to Consortium, Blue Carbon Law Symposium Scheduled for May 17-18, 2023.

Since Europeans began settling North America, hurricanes have altered the course of history. Hurricanes helped determine which nations would settle the Atlantic coast and where they would build the first colonial outposts. From the Chesapeake Bay to the Carolinas to Florida, the dreams of explorers and colonialists were often capsized by giant storms, which created long-lasting impacts on our heritage.

Over the past two decades, scientists have discovered dozens of new species of nuisance algae that raise havoc around the world, killing huge numbers of fish and causing human illnesses. The most famous new species is Pfiesteria piscicida, found in estuaries from Delaware to Florida. Although Pfiesteria is often described as a bizarre, freakish phenomenon, it is just one small part of an international problem.

In recent years, researchers have described the importance of geography in our daily lives. Where we live, geographers say, profoundly affects how we live. Now a growing number of government planners are using new geographic tools to manage development, conserve natural resources, and protect lives and property during hurricanes and other natural disasters.

A growing number of schoolchildren are learning important lessons about complex controversies such as global warming and acid rain, educators say, and the real problem is that children are being used as pawns in political conflicts.

Government programs have helped reduce the public’s vulnerability to hurricanes. Now citizens must take steps to protect themselves before giant storms strike.

Reigning over the Lowcountry for almost two centuries, rice planters created the South Carolina coast’s distinctive culture and its most enduring conflicts.

Ecological restoration reflects the American spirit—our constant utopian desire to rehabilitate the world. Are ecological restorers bringing back long-lost landscapes—or creating an artificial, costly “nature”?

Created by Africa and Europe, by slavery and isolation, the Gullah culture is fading into the modern world.

Although South Carolina has one of the smallest populations in the country, its coastal region is expected to experience unprecedented growth in the coming decades.

If New Urbanists got their way, sprawling suburbs would become an endangered species. But the public, so far, isn’t going along.

Would you notice if South Carolina’s commercial fishermen disappeared?

During the twentieth century, many of South Carolina’s rice plantations were turned into hunting preserves, which later became a priceless necklace of wildlife habitat along the coast.

Booming global trade enables animal viruses to race around the world. Now aquatic farmers and researchers are finding new strategies to contain them.

New land-use regulations in two South Carolina coastal counties have sparked fierce debate. Rural neighbors, developers, and conservationists wrangle over development and property rights.

The biological invaders are coming! The Earth, conservationists say, could become increasingly dominated by hardy, prolific, adaptable exotic species such as the zebra mussel and the fire ant.

In the mid-twentieth century, mainstream volunteer groups dominated American civic life. But professionally staffed adversary groups have flourished in recent decades, with unprecedented political influence. How are they changing our civic culture and public policy?

Hurricane Floyd triggered an evacuation fiasco across four southeastern states. Can we do better next time?

South Carolina’s maritime trade has ridden spectacular heights and plumbed poverty-stricken depths.

The South—where sprawl is king and where spread-out growth accelerates faster and farther than anywhere else.

Driven out of their habitats, many wildlife species are flourishing in America’s urbanized areas, thriving on our handouts and causing nuisances.

Which wild creatures can adapt to accelerating climate change?

For now, nourishment seems the only practical answer to erosion. But, in the long run, most beachfront property owners will have to retreat. The longer we wait, the more costly it will be.

American fishermen are battered by tough regulations intended to recover overfished stocks and by floods of cheap imported seafood.

How fast is too fast? In a single generation, the South Carolina coast has been transformed.

Gullah history is revealed in Lowcountry land held by families for generations.

Small stone pieces excavated at the Topper site in Allendale County could be central to the story of Homo sapiens.

Innovative developers and civic leaders are drawing residents back to older suburbs and formerly blighted areas.

A revolution is coming to ocean science, allowing researchers to study the marine environment in a more detailed, timely fashion than ever before.

A new era of green design and construction has arrived on South Carolina campuses.

Why do so many coastal homeowners fail to purchase flood insurance?

The African contribution to the immensely lucrative South Carolina rice industry.

Many teachers are struggling with “discovery learning,” the strongest trend in science education. But help is on the way.

Rising sea level is forcing some salt marshes to migrate inland, exposing communities to more flooding. This process will almost certainly accelerate because of climate change.

Global trade and travel are moving biological invaders around world, causing billions of dollars in damage and displacing native species.

Property insurers say that the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf coastlines are increasingly becoming a more dangerous place due to hurricanes – and that climate change is an important reason why.

An unprecedented demand for new homes along estuaries and tidal creeks is diminishing water access for commercial fisherman and recreational boaters alike.

Two hundred years ago, abolitionists gained their first victory in the long struggle to abolish the ownership of human beings. This year, the lowcountry commemorates the anniversary of that initial victory.

Innovative development practices and construction products are allowing stormwater to be filtered on-site and preventing pollution from reaching waterways.

Warmer, more acidic oceans threaten global fisheries.

Colonial South Carolina attracted adventurers who arrived here to explore and document its remarkable biological riches.

Explorers have discovered a remarkable array of fragile deep-sea corals from North Carolina to east Florida.

Government programs have aided numerous disaster victims toward recovery, but citizens, families, and businesses must become better prepared for future emergencies.

Climate change is accelerating faster than scientists thought possible just a few years ago, and the rate of global sea-level rise will increase as a result. How will South Carolina adapt?

In the 1920s and ‘30s, southern white authors published best-selling novels about the Gullah people. Now the Gullah people are telling their own story.

Offshore wind is South Carolina’s primary renewable resource for generating electricity. Can the state establish effective incentives to develop it? Or will offshore wind prove too expensive and difficult?

Climate change and global sea-level rise are happening, and now is the time to discuss impacts and tools to adapt, scientists say.

In this anniversary issue of Coastal Heritage, we look back on relationships between the human and natural environments in our state, and venture a brief look to the future.

Artists and scientists collaborate to help us perceive patterns of the natural world.

Her compelling journal describes the four-year Confederate rebellion, which aimed to preserve slavery but led to its extinction in North America.

New methods to filter runoff and protect waterways.

Her ideas have become integral to contemporary urban planning.

Trusting relationships help disaster victims recover.

South Carolina’s fisheries are sustainable ones, experts say. So buy local seafood with confidence.

We can’t understand our disaster risks until we set our minds sternly to the task.

On Emancipation Day—January 1, 1863—sea islanders of the Beaufort District realized what they must do to help defeat the Confederacy and keep their freedom.

South Carolina is one of the few places in the world where oysters are in reasonable abun­­dance and in good harvesting condition. Still, more can be done to restore their populations.

Climate change is often functioning as an accelerant, making some natural weather extremes even more dangerous and intense.

The red lionfish is a “super-invasive” species that is taking over reef systems in the western Atlantic and Caribbean.

Rice plantations shaped and reshaped the lowcountry geography and economy, making Charleston one of the richest cities in the world, but it was a wealth built primarily on slave labor.

Traditional marine industries continue to lose their hold on South Carolina’s coastal waterways.

What’s happening to sea life as plastics are shredded into smaller and smaller pieces? Smaller particles capture waterborne contaminants.

U.S. coastal cities could learn from the Dutch who say, “When building or rebuilding, always think about water.”

Are we losing our young people to the digital world or is the study of natural history making a comeback?

How does the S.C. Sea Grant Consortium help develop the research, education, and outreach workforce of the future? It’s all about planting the right seeds in the right places.

Working waterfronts are living entities, shaped by many variables. In South Carolina, the communities around those waterfronts are taking stock of recent changes and deciding how best to move forward.

Inundations in 2015 and 2016 drove home the message that building coastal resilience is critical and requires changes.

With a new National Park Service site planned for Beaufort County, the people who led the way during Reconstruction gain new acclaim.

In the past 25 years, technology has accelerated extraordinary advances in how scientists record, measure, and process information, and thus has revolutionized research.

People feel better after spending time in nature, and they then work to protect those special places.

The expansion of engineered ponds as stormwater control devices has changed the way water moves across the coastal landscape, and the effects are still being sorted out.

As Baby Boomers near the end of their careers, passing on their institutional knowledge to future generations becomes critical, shining a spotlight on the mentor-protégé relationship.

The single-oyster mariculture industry is taking off in South Carolina, as hatcheries and farms refine methods for growing single oysters preferred by high-end restaurants.

Barrier and hammock islands, marshes, tidal wetlands, and their plants and creatures will have to be early adapters as the warming ocean creeps higher in coming decades.

News Stories: Consortium Board of Directors Re-Elect Chair and Vice-Chair, FY24-25 Request for Proposals Now Open, Consortium Welcomes Science Writer, Marine Educator Wins Prestigious Award, Blue Carbon Database to be Developed.

Education News: Celebrating Black History Month, NOAA’s “Picture Climate Change” Student Photo Contest, Coastal Conservation Summer Internship Program, Educator Science Café: Basically, It’s Getting More Acidic, BioDiscovery Workshop, Learn to Use Microscopes Teacher Workshop.

Education News: Lady Cougars STEM Education Day, NOAA’s “Picture Climate Change” Student Photo Contest, Educator Science Café: Basically, It’s Getting More Acidic, All Booked Up Coastal Reading Club, BioDiscovery Workshop, Save-the-Date: Microscopes Workshop.

News Stories: Consortium Welcomes New Staff, CoastSnap Program Documents Shoreline Change, Mapping Cobia Genome for Population Assessment, Restoration, Knauss Fellowship Applications Due February 16, 2023, FY24-26 Request for Proposals—Save the Date!

This assessment identifies the critical needs, threats, and impediments the commercial fishing industry faces in South Carolina.

This manual represents several years of research and engagement by the S.C. Sea Grant Consortium …

News Stories: Consortium Welcomes New Staff, Extension Staff Win Prestigious National Award, Consortium Helps Gullah Geechee Chamber Secure Grant for Seafood Trail.

Something’s Very Fishy Online, Water Shapes Our Planet and Our Lives Elementary Curriculum, NOAA Spooky Science, A Little Bird (and Butterfly) Told Me: Climate Change and Invasive Species, All Booked Up Coastal Reading Club, BioDiscovery Workshop, SCMEA 2022 Conference.

The S.C. Sea Grant Consortium provided expertise and guidance to help develop oyster hatcheries in the state after state officials banned the importation of seed oysters from outside the state in 2014 due to disease concerns.

The rich culture of coastal South Carolina comes to life at the community level in history museums. This storymap showcases Lowcountry museums.

Sporobolus alterniflorus (formerly Spartina alterniflora), the common smooth cordgrass that dominates coastal marshes in the southeastern United States changes from month to month. Follow along on a journey through a year in the marsh.

News Stories: Water Chats Webinars Focus on Source Water Protection, Statewide Litter Cleanup Set for September 17, Nominees Chosen for 2023 Knauss Fellowship, Project Examines Extreme Heat in Gadsden Green Community

News Stories: Consortium Logs Record Number of Impacts, Accomplishments in Annual Report, Marine Debris Challenge Funding Opportunity, Water Chats Delve into Water Quality Research, Application, and Management, REconnect Symposium Brings Together Scientists and Educators.

Driven by a combination of factors, from new federal energy goals to a burgeoning wind-energy manufacturing presence in South Carolina, an effort to bring offshore wind to the Palmetto State is gaining momentum.

News Stories: New Internship Program Promotes Diversity in Aquaculture Industry, “Project Sentinel” Stations to Capture Landfalling Hurricane Data, Groundwater and Infrastructure in Beaufort County Focus of $300K Grant.

This comprehensive manual on implementing low impact development practices provides engineering tools, planning guidance, and case study examples that are relevant to the South Carolina coastal zone.

This comprehensive report contains up-to-date scientific findings on stormwater ponds, their effectiveness as a control measure, pollutant levels, public perception, and best management practices.

This guide contained resources related to the financial basics of starting a cage shellfish mariculture business operation, including options for loans and start-up capital, existing options for crop and equipment insurance, cage bonds, and existing producer associations.

This resource outlines considerations for purchasing shellfish seed for mariculture operations in South Carolina with a focus on two economically and ecologically valuable bivalves, oysters, and clams. It also identifies requirements for out-of-state purchases and offers guidance for seed purchase and factors to take into account when preparing to stock an operation.

This guide provides the prospective aquaculturist with an overview of information sources and government agencies associated with aquaculture permitting.

The S.C. Sea Grant Consortium (SCSGC), Carolinas Integrated Sciences and Assessments (CISA), and College of Charleston’s Lowcountry Hazards Center (LCHC) assessed Edisto Beach’s vulnerability to flooding and sea level rise using a variety of methods.

A report detailing hypothetical investment scenarios for shellfish hatchery development. The report includes an estimate on the current unmet demand for South Carolina produced mariculture oysters, as well as an economic impact model.

This educator lesson plan uses simple materials for activities to demonstrate and learn about how oysters filter water. It includes background educational material.

This infographic highlights the main points of the Economic Benefits of Beaches and Barrier Islands report.

This report examines the ecosystem services provided by South Carolina’s beach and barrier island systems from an economic perspective. The report synthesizes data from a variety of sources in order to place an estimated value on the services, in order to better inform their wise use and conservation.

An overview of the economic contribution of South Carolina’s oyster-growing industry, which has grown as demand for locally-grown and sustainably-produced oysters increases.

This fact sheet shows the involvement of the S.C. Sea Grant Consortium in jump-starting the oyster farming industry in South Carolina, the state of the industry, and current projects to improve oyster growing resources in the state.

This report details the trends in economic activity related to South Carolina’s ocean economy.

A report by a team from S.C. Sea Grant Consortium and Carolinas Integrated Sciences and Assessments on the history and science of rising sea levels and potential flood mitigation strategies was prepared for the City of Beaufort and presented at a public meeting in January, 2020.

This journal provides ten writing prompts and engagement activities based on the seven Ocean Literacy Essential Principles for use by educators and parents with their students and children.

This journal provides ten writing prompts and engagement activities based on the seven Ocean Literacy Essential Principles for use by educators and parents with their students and children.

This journal provides ten writing prompts and engagement activities based on the seven Ocean Literacy Essential Principles for use by educators and parents with their students and children.

This data collection sheet is to be used to collect weather data using a homemade anemometer.

This educator lesson plan uses simple materials for activities to learn that phytoplankton are autotrophic and carry out the process of photosynthesis, and understand the importance of body form and function in keeping phytoplankton floating in the upper levels of the water column.

This educator lesson plan uses simple materials to let students determine whether Earth is covered mostly by water or land. Discussion includes reasons why the ocean is important to humans and other animals and plants, and ways in which humans positively and negatively impact the ocean environment.

This educator lesson plan uses simple materials to demonstrate the properties of different liquids, find out whether freshwater or saltwater is more dense, and discover how the density of water impacts Earth’s ecosystems.

This educator lesson plan uses simple materials to explore how local creeks connect to a larger watershed system and communicates the historical and cultural importance of the creeks and watershed systems in the area.

This educator lesson plan uses simple materials to teach about sea-level rise. Discuss the main differences between sea ice and glacial ice, how melting sea ice and/or glacial ice impacts currents and sea level, and how thermohaline circulation affects climate.

This educator lesson plan uses simple materials to teach the carbon cycle in the lithosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere. Activities demonstrate how natural processes release and absorb carbon, and ways in which carbon influences and impacts climate.

This educator lesson plan uses simple materials for fun STEM (science-technology-engineering-math) challenges designed to teach about the properties of buoyancy and density. Includes a separate activity to be done with parents.

This infographic and fact sheet shows statistics about South Carolina’s ocean economy.

A method and guidance for assessing the resilience of public water and wastewater systems to flooding as well as the access to health care facilities to improve the health outcomes of communities when faced with tropical storms, increased tidal flooding, and extreme rain events.

This newsletter includes: The S.C. Sea Grant Consortium received high marks from a national review team. SECOORA spun off the S.C. Sea Grant Consortium as an independent non-profit for ocean observation. A climate adaptation initiative lead to the creation of flood and sea-level rise maps for Charleston, S.C. Researchers looked into the causes of hypoxic events in Long Bay off the coast of Myrtle Beach. Researchers studied the survival rates of horseshoe crabs after bleeding for medical purposes. A brochure on low impact development was released, as well as a web portal showing South Carolina LID projects.

This newsletter includes: Governors in the Southeast states formed a regional coalition to better manage and protect ocean and coastal resources, ensure regional economic sustainability, and respond to disasters such as hurricanes. A citizen’s guide to community planning in South Carolina was published. Scientists studied hypoxic events off Myrtle Beach. New resources for fisheries were developed.

A website was developed to provide resources to coastal decision-makers, community planners, and local officials. S.C. Sea Grant Consortium researchers helped improve Georgia stormwater policies. S.C. Sea Grant Consortium-backed research lead to development of an improved nail design for preventing wind and earthquake damage. S.C. Sea Grant-back erosion research was featured on national television. Shrimpers in South Carolina learned about using biodiesel as a sustainable fuel source.

This newsletter includes: A beach erosion monitoring program assisted with efforts to secure emergency funding for storm damage repair. An effort to map the ocean bottom assisted in identifying essential fish habitat. An observation system improved floor detection and warning capabilities. A red drum stocking program helped curb declines in the population. A conservation plan was developed for Jasper County to prepare for growth. A campaign to improve awareness of the dangers of rip currents was launched.

This newsletter includes: S.C. Sea Grant Consortium noted its 25th anniversary, honoring Hollings. Scientists developed a computer model to help manage the blue crab fishery in South Carolina. A statewide cleanup effort removed nearly 60 tons of trash from South Carolina waterways.

This newsletter includes: Dr. Andrew A. Sorensen was elected as chair of S.C. Sea Grant Consortium’s Board of Directors. The S.C. Sea Grant Consortium hired new staff. A school curriculum was developed as an educational companion to Coastal Heritage Magazine.

This newsletter includes: An estimated 6,000 volunteers removed trash from South Carolina waterways. Researchers deployed mobile wind towers along the projected path of Hurricane Isabel in advance of the storm. The S.C. Sea Grant Consortium was awarded new funding for core programs.

This newsletter includes: Volunteers cleaned nearly 15 tons of trash from local waterways. S.C. Sea Grant Consortium extension specialists organized a workshop on harmful algal blooms. The executive director of the S.C. Sea Grant Consortium was named to the Executive Committee of the Board of Oceans and Atmosphere of the National Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges.

This newsletter includes: The S.C. Sea Grant Consortium received a funding award for its core program areas and hired new staff members. The NEMO program, which educates municipalities about natural resource protection, expanded into the upstate area. The executive director of the S.C. Sea Grant Consortium testified before the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy at its regional meeting in Charleston, S.C. Discussion of a proposal to move the Sea Grant program to the National Science Foundation.

This newsletter includes: The S.C. Sea Grant Board of Directors elected Dr. Ronald R. Ingle as chair. Clemson University engineers ripped apart 15 flood-damaged houses to test hurricane-resistant retrofits. With the guidance of the NEMO program, the City of Conway adopted a new zoning ordinance for water quality controls. An explanation of how land-use decisions shape the coastal landscape.

This newsletter includes: Coastal Heritage Magazine won an award as a Notable State Document, and the S.C. Sea Grant Consortium hired new staff members. Scientists began field research to examine how various land uses and land-use changes affect the condition of marine resources. Volunteers sponsored by local organizations created plywood window coverings for senior residents on local barrier islands. The S.C. Sea Grant coastal environmental quality specialist spoke before the Pew Oceans Commission.

This publication includes: The S.C. Sea Grant Consortium developed a new website, and hired new staff members. Beach Sweep/River Sweep received support from the mayors of several local cities. The S.C. Sea Grant Consortium received a grant to support minority students in marine science. The S.C. Sea Grant Consortium marked its 20 year anniversary.

This newsletter includes: Dr. Leroy Davis was elected as S.C. Sea Grant board chair. Oyster shell research lead to a new fertilizer enhancer. The Center for Sustainable Living was featured on national television. A new red tide was discovered.

The Southeast Phytoplankton Monitoring Network (SEPMN) grew from a program with volunteers sampling in coastal South Carolina to expanding its coverage along the Georgia and North Carolina coasts.

The CDC funded a multi-faceted approach to harmful algal blooms (HABs) in South Carolina, including a system to identify people with a high risk of exposure to potentially harmful algae, real-time remote monitoring, and outreach programs.

In 2003, a massive bloom of Heterosigma akashiwo created a red tide phenomenon that extended from inside Bulls Bay to about five miles offshore. About 10,000 dead fish were discovered, but it was not clear whether the deaths were caused by toxicity from the algae, exposure to low salinity waters, or gills clogged by the bloom.

Scientists studied bald eagle deaths in the Southeast due to avianvacuolar myelinopathy, or AVM, and a possible link between the condition and the presence of the blue-green algae growing on Hydrilla in man-made reservoirs.

Researchers found that nearly half of 45 stormwater ponds on the South Carolina coast that were tested contained harmful algae in “bloom” proportions. Other efforts to study and monitor harmful algal blooms are also discussed.

A brief history of early coordination efforts around harmful algal blooms, and a detailed description of the various human health impacts of HABs: types of poisoning, health conditions, and classes of toxic algae.

The CDC funded research into the possibility of risks posed by harmful algal blooms in residential stormwater ponds, including attempting to identify risk factors linked to coastal development and human health impacts.

This newsletter details a grant awarded to the Task Group on Harmful Algae to assess environmental impacts of red tides, Pfiesteria, and toxic algae, as well as efforts by students and local residents to aid in monitoring for HABs.

This newsletter details efforts by the task group to create strategies in advance of issues caused by harmful algal blooms, and also contains an update on research on the red tide dinoflagellate, Scrippsiella carolinium.

This newsletter examines research efforts on red tides in state estuaries, as well as innovative measures to treat and diagnose symptoms of Possible Estuarine-Associated Syndrome (PEAS).

This newsletter details South Carolina efforts to check sites of suspected toxic algal blooms in 1999, prevent human health consequences, and study Possible Estuary-Associated Syndrome (PEAS).

South Carolina was awarded $160,000 as part of a six-state, $3.2 million grant provided by the CDC’s National Centers for Environmental Health to track the human health effects posed by the toxic marine alga Pfiesteria piscicida.

This newsletter details the creation of the S.C. Task Group on Toxic Algae in response to outbreaks of Pfiesteria in several mid-Atlantic states in the 1990’s. A sidebar includes information about worldwide seafood poisonings caused by toxic algae.

Practical insights for community associations that want to protect and improve their natural resources. Strategies covered include managing coastal runoff by using vegetated buffers and rain gardens, maintaining stormwater ponds, and other actions homeowners can take to improve water quality. Contains a helpful glossary of terms, web resources, native plant lists, and a maintenance checklist.

This educational poster shows the main facts and distribution of Sporobolus alterniflorus (formerly known as Spartina alterniflora), the dominant plant in southeastern salt marshes.

This colorful poster describes how plastics degrade into microplastics, potential effects on wildlife of microplastic ingestion, and features several easy things people can do to help reduce the amount of plastics in the environment.

This guidebook details the effects of development on tidal creek habitats and their important function in the coastal ecosystem.

This technical report characterizes the chemical and biological contaminants from sediment of 16 stormwater ponds located in suburban areas of Myrtle Beach, Georgetown, Charleston, and Beaufort.

This report covers the strengths and weaknesses of two stormwater management strategies in coastal South Carolina: stormwater ponds and LID practices. Based on interviews of stormwater professionals and input from workshops, the report assists coastal communities with decision-making about the selection and implementation of stormwater managements strategies.

Beaufort County, S.C. implemented volume-based stormwater regulations on the rationale that if volume discharge is controlled, contaminant loading will also be controlled. The County sought to identify which of their tidal creeks and what portions of the creeks are most sensitive to stormwater runoff.

Scientists investigated the threat of saltwater intrusion in the Yadkin-Pee Dee River basin under conditions influenced by ongoing and future climatic change with an emphasis on changes in the frequency and duration of saltwater intrusion events with increasing sea levels.

Beaufort County is a low-lying coastal county with a high vulnerability to flooding and other coastal hazards. Residents have already noticed the effects of rising sea levels; however, the County is finding it difficult to effectively plan given the compounding uncertainties about sea-level rise and its consequences on the human environment.

This guide is a basic primer for the land-use planning techniques deployed by the eight government bodies in Horry County. Includes a section on special purpose zoning districts and other planning tools, as well as a land-use codes matrix for each municipality.

This plan provides a regional perspective of local development patterns and natural resources in the area between the Cooper and Santee rivers. The project team synthesized technical knowledge regarding urban and regional planning, landscape architecture, and ecology, as well as organized workshops to gather input from the mayors and planning staff to develop a land conservation plan.

This report compiles whelk reproduction, growth, and fisheries studies from Massachusetts, Delaware, Virginia, and Georgia to lay the groundwork for a more consistent approach to managing the fishery throughout the U.S. Atlantic coast. The studies were presented at the 16th International Conference on Shellfish Restoration, which was organized by the S.C. Sea Grant Consortium in 2014 in Charleston, S.C. A full transcript of the panel discussion at the conference is included.

This report details specific research needs for shrimp, blue crab, horseshoe crab, and stone crab species. The report discusses the effects of disease, habitat condition and loss, climate change, stock assessment, and fishery practices for each, and identifies research priorities.

Current and prospective homeowners will learn about common coastal hazards, such as chronic erosion, storm-driven erosion, and flooding. Also included are important state regulations for construction and renovation of properties on the beachfront and criteria for repairing or rebuilding after a storm event.

This final report details survey responses from 657 marine recreationists in the North Myrtle Beach and Georgetown, S.C., areas about their points of view regarding the impacts of offshore wind energy. Includes methods, interviews, questionnaires, individual responses, and responses compared across communities.

This study was designed to develop an understanding of the factors and processes that control coastal sediment movement within critical areas of erosion along the South Carolina/Georgia coast, and lead to better prediction of changes and cost-effective mitigation of future erosion and accretion patterns.

This briefing book from Our Coastal Future Forum provides an explanation of South Carolina’s changing climate, and information about sand resources, coastal erosion control, and offshore energy production.

This report includes a research summary from the mid-1980s to present, prior research and policy recommendations, a summary of active research and new recommendations, and a comprehensive cited reference list.

This booklet assists the crayfish farmer in determining chemical toxicity values. It contains a detailed chart of the acute toxicity values for crayfish for a variety of common chemicals.

This book answers questions about the ocean – how it was formed and what lives in it. The book contains a comprehensive explanation of ocean zones, plate tectonics, the hydrologic cycle, and the physical and chemical properties of the ocean.

This briefing book from Our Coastal Future Forum provides an explanation of South Carolina’s changing climate, and an overview of chemical and bacterial contaminants and their effects on environmental health.

This briefing book from the Our Coastal Future Forum provides an explanation of South Carolina’s changing climate, and information about the effects on coastal biodiversity and living marine resources.

This report details a 2.5-day workshop held in New Orleans, Louisiana in 2017 to discuss six experimental designs developed through a competitive request for proposals.

This guide, available in PDF and as an interactive website, provides an overview of salt marsh and tidal creek ecosystems in the southeastern United States.

A regional introduction for educators to three main categories of marine debris: litter; derelict or abandoned boats; and lost or abandoned commercial and recreational fishing gear.

The S.C. Sea Grant Consortium coordinated a comprehensive effort to study the potential impact of development in coastal South Carolina, a five-year effort funded by the NOAA Coastal Ocean Program starting in 2001. The South Atlantic Bight Land Use-Coastal Ecosystem Study focused on ecological processes in salt marsh-tidal creek ecosystems in Beaufort County.

When several landowners requested permits to repair coastal impoundment dikes in the 1980s, state environmental regulators recognized how little they knew about these specialized, man-made ecosystems built for rice production a century earlier. They wanted to know how many of the dike-and-trunk systems were functional, how best to manage them, and how they affected marine life and estuarine functions. The S.C. Sea Grant Consortium funded the Coastal Wetland Impoundment Project to come up with answers.

Shortly after its creation in 1980, S.C. Sea Grant Consortium began supporting an effort to bolster K-12 marine education. A long process led to the publication in 1985 of “Sea Sampler: Aquatic Activities for the Field and Classroom,” edited by Wendy Beard Allen and Patty Owens McLaughlin. The science in these publications still holds up, even if some activities might no longer match updated grade-level state education standards.

Shortly after its creation in 1980, S.C. Sea Grant Consortium began supporting an effort to bolster K-12 marine education. A long process led to the publication in 1985 of “Sea Sampler: Aquatic Activities for the Field and Classroom,” edited by Wendy Beard Allen and Patty Owens McLaughlin. The science in these publications still holds up, even if some activities might no longer match updated grade-level state education standards.

The S.C. Sea Grant Consortium sponsored a workshop on sea level rise in Charleston on February 21, 1984. The keynote remarks by John S. Hoffman, director of strategic studies for the Environmental Protection Agency, presaged the current tidal flooding concerns for the Charleston region.

Among the first projects funded by the S.C. Sea Grant Consortium in 1980 was a history of hurricanes that had impacted South Carolina. Laylon Wayne Jordan, with assistance from Robert Dukes Jr. and Ted Rosengarten, compiled this extensive document, complete with track charts and newspaper accounts for the major storms.

News Story: Research Symposium a Success.

Something’s Very Fishy: YouTube Kids, REconnect (Researcher/Educator) Symposium, Palmetto Environmental Education Certification, From Seeds to Shoreline Workshop, Teachers on the Estuary (TOTE) Workshop, Environmental Education Association of South Carolina’s Annual Conference, Nature’s Water Filter: Oyster Demonstration Lesson Plan.

News Stories: Team Assists Town of Edisto Beach with Resilience Planning, Aquaculture Toolkit Now Available, Tide Gauges Capture Local Data for Coastal Communities, Educator Science Café Series is a Wrap.

Education News: Virtual Environmental Quarantrivia, REconnect (Researcher/Educator) Symposium, From Seeds to Shoreline Educator Workshop, Environmental Education Association of South Carolina’s Annual Conference.

News Stories: Registration Open for Research Symposium on May 11-12, Funding Awarded for Biennial Projects, New Report Documents Shellfish Mariculture Return-on-Investment.

News Stories: Environmental Educators Nearing Certification, Groundwater Monitoring on Kiawah Island, Upcoming Research Symposium, New Consortium Member Francis Marion University, Consortium Board of Directors Elect Chair and Vice Chair.

Education News: Virtual Environmental Quarantrivia, Educator Science Café: All Hands on Deck, All Booked Up: Coastal Reading Club, Project Learning Tree: Explore your Environment, Environmental Education Association of South Carolina’s Annual Conference.

Education News: Educator Science Café: All Hands on Deck, Virtual Environmental Quarantrivia, All Booked Up: Coastal Reading Club, Project Learning Tree: Explore your Environment, Environmental Education Association of South Carolina’s Annual Conference.

All along the South Carolina coast, the diamondback terrapin is endemic to salt marshes. But many populations of the species remain in steady decline.

News Stories: S.C. Resilience Planning Efforts Documented, Cost-Benefit Analysis of Stormwater BMPs Developed, Over 3M Seeds Collected for Salt Marsh Restoration.

News Stories: Recycled Shrimp Nets to Reduce Litter, From Spent Brewery Grains to Sustainable Fish Food, Jump-Starting Careers for Students, Students Discover Underwater Creatures with Bioracks.

Education News: Research Soundings, All Booked Up: Coastal Reading Club, 2021 – 2022 Educator Science Café Series, Watershed Game Workshop, Project Learning Tree K-8 Activity Guide Trainings, South Carolina Marine Educators Association (SCMEA) Annual Conference.

News Stories: Finegan Joins the Consortium, Scientists Develop Novel Fish Aging Technique, “Food from the Sea” Grants Support Career Development and Training, Volunteers Sprout New Marsh Habitat.

Education News: Research Soundings, All Booked Up: Coastal Reading Club, 2021 – 2022 Educator Science Café Series, Virtual Quarantrivia: 2021 – 2022 Season, South Carolina Marine Educators Association (SCMEA) Annual Conference.

Education News: REconnect (Researcher/Educator) Symposium, 2021 – 2022 Educator Science Café Series, Beach Sweep/River Sweep.

Over the next 30 years, a multitude of changes — including rising sea level, more frequent rain bursts, and an anticipated population influx — will alter South Carolina’s coastal landscape. How will communities adapt to the challenges presented?

Education News: REconnect (Researcher/Educator) Symposium, 2021 – 2022 Educator Science Café Series, Champions of the Environment, S.C. Marine Educator of the Year.

News Stories: Brita Jessen Joins the Consortium, Eleanor Pierel Chosen for Knauss Fellowship, Oyster Growers Receive Floating Cage Tags, Consortium Revitalizes S.C. Clean Marina Program, New Economic Report Examines Coastal Ecosystem Services.

News Stories: S.C. State University President Clark Re-Elected as Board Chair, Nearly $1.5 Million Awarded for Red Snapper Count, Consortium Assists Town of McClellanville with Preserving Working Waterfront, New Grant to Assess Direct Marketing of Seafood, S.C. Educators Receive Environmental Education Certification, Report Wins Notable State Document Award.

Education News: Environmental Education Association of South Carolina Annual Conference, BioDiscovery Workshop, Your Parks Your Classroom, From Seeds to Shoreline Virtual Teacher Training.

Education News: Virtual Educator Science Café, From Seeds to Shoreline Virtual Teacher Training, BioDiscovery Workshop, SECOORA Request for Proposals, Environmental Education Association of South Carolina Annual Conference.

Education News: Back to Basics Virtual Educator Science Café, Environmental Education Association of South Carolina Hybrid Conference, All Booked Up: S.C. Sea Grant Consortium’s Coastal Reading Club, Pollinator Conservation Webinar, S.C. Environmental Awareness Award, From Seeds to Shoreline Virtual Teacher Training, Teachers on the Estuary: Explore an Estuary NERR You.

Education News: Celebrating Black History Month, S.C. Sea Grant Consortium Request for Proposals, Pollinator Conservation Webinar, Macroplastics in South Carolina Waters, All Booked Up: S.C. Sea Grant Consortium’s Coastal Reading Club, S.C. Environmental Awareness Award, Conservation Education Conference on Virtual Learning, Environmental Education Association of South Carolina Hybrid Conference.

For 40 years, the S.C. Sea Grant Consortium’s researchers, educators, and outreach staff has worked to enhance understanding of the unique heritage and natural resources of coastal South Carolina.

The S.C. Sea Grant Consortium Tackles Resilience: As extreme tides and rainfall have increased in recent years, the S.C. Sea Grant Consortium has focused significant effort on research and outreach programs seeking to improve the coast’s—and the state’s—flood resilience.

News stories: S.C. Sea Grant Consortium Receives High Marks by National Sea Grant Review Panel, South Carolina State University President Clark Elected Consortium Board Chair, Stormwater Ponds State-of-Knowledge Report Available, Consortium Marks 40th Anniversary in 2020.

South Carolina’s wealth of undeveloped barrier islands and sand banks are hotbeds for research because natural processes occur on those landforms with minimal human intervention.

Researchers increasingly are turning to volunteers who are willing to scour beaches for sea turtle tracks or check a backyard rain gauge daily, and the data gathered in these basic chores is helping propel science forward.

The rich culture of coastal South Carolina has come to life in a wave of history museums opened in the past few decades. Read about eleven coastal museums and their contributions to both tourism and local communities.

As sea level rises and more intense rains fall, engineering streets, buildings, and natural areas to better handle high-water levels becomes crucial. Read about current projects and efforts to prevent and minimize flooding in coastal South Carolina.