Stewardship of Our Oceans and Coastline

Linda B. Rimer, Environmental Stewardship Committee Chair

North Carolina is richly blessed with natural wonders, from the grandeur of our mountains in the west to the magnificence of our oceans and coastline in the east. With August here, vacations are on the minds of many people. Many North Carolinians fall into two camps - the mountain types and the ocean types. While there is much to be said about our stewardship challenges for both mountains and oceans, this article focuses on our oceans and coast, taking advantage of three reports that have all been published within the last twelve months. These reports include The State of American's Oceans by the Pew Ocean Commission, the draft report of the US Commission on Ocean Policy, and the 2003 State of the Coast Report by the North Carolina Coastal Federation (websites at the end of this article).

You may or may not be surprised to learn that all three reports share similar findings and make similar recommendations. All three reports agree that we collectively, whether we are government officials, citizens, or businesses, are falling far short of being good stewards of our ocean and coastal resources. From the Pew report we learn that the oceans are our largest public domain, spanning nearly 4.5 million square miles, an area 23% larger than the nation's land area. The Coastal Federation reminds us that North Carolina has 301 miles of coastline and 3375 miles of shoreline. Again from Pew, we read that the biological riches of the oceans surpass those of our national forests and wilderness areas. "The genetic, species, habitat, and ecosystem diversity of the oceans is believed to exceed that of any other Earth system ... yet, incredibly, we are squandering this bounty."

All three reports identify the greatest pollution threat to coastal marine life today as the runoff of excess nitrogen from fertilized farm fields, animal feedlots, and urban areas. A recent study by the National Academy of Sciences (2002) estimates that the oil running off our streets and driveways and ultimately flowing into our oceans, is equal to an Exxon Valdez oil spill - 10.9 million gallons - every eight months. Airborne nitrogen from industrial smokestacks, automobile exhaust and ammonia rising from huge manure lagoons represents additional 'non-point' sources of pollution that are deposited in our estuaries marshes and oceans from the atmosphere. Other threats to our oceans and coast include over-fishing, invasive species (e.g. zebra mussels,) aquaculture, coastal development, habitat alteration and climate change.

We have much to learn and much to do if we are to become better stewards of our coastal resources. Although our September Cross Roads article will explore steps that you can begin to take toward that goal, there is one time-sensitive action which you may consider taking today.

The North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources will be receiving comments on draft Coastal Habitat Protection Plans between July 13-August 4, 2004. Meeting locations, dates and times are posted at http://www.ncdmf.net/habitat/chpp29.html. The actual plans are down-loadable from this site as well.

Whether you are a coastal property owner or a beach tourist, or even if you never go east of I-95, all of us who live in Chapel Hill also live in the Neuse river basin; we all live upstream of that great ocean.

God created the oceans and declared them good. The 'goodness' of our Atlantic Ocean and coastal lands is greatly threatened. The daily choices we make can have a positive impact on these wonderful resources.

http://www.pewoceans.org/

http://oceancommission.gov/documents/prelimreport/welcome.html

http://www.nccoast.org/SOC2003/soc03.htm