North Carolina officials are weighing new rules to protect a disappearing coastal resource that keeps the state’s multi-million-dollar fishing industry alive.
The Marine Fisheries Commission’s Habitat Committee meets this Thursday in Morehead City to review a new draft of the Coastal Habitat Protection Plan. A main focus of the meeting is addressing a sharp decline in underwater seagrass, which acts as a vital breeding ground for blue crabs, red drum, and flounder.
A newly released study from the Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuary Partnership reveals that North Carolina has lost more than 16 percent of its high-salinity seagrass over a 14-year span, largely due to nutrient pollution.
The public can weigh in on the proposed habitat plan and seagrass formulas during an in-person comment period starting at 7:45 Thursday evening.
