Title: Coast watch
Identifier: coastwatch00uncs_14 (find matches)
Year: 1979 (1970s)
Authors: UNC Sea Grant College Program
Subjects: Marine resources; Oceanography; Coastal zone management; Coastal ecology
Publisher: (Raleigh, N. C. : UNC Sea Grant College Program)
Contributing Library: State Library of North Carolina
Digitizing Sponsor: North Carolina Digital Heritage Center

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ABOVE: Alvin Braswell shows off an alligator skull in the collection. BELOW: Researchers and teachers can view salamanders now rare in the wild. Moving down the shelves to the more advanced species, there is a jar of baby needle fish found by a research vessel in 1957. Near this is a large jar of flying fish found on the North River in 1986. The collection also includes the robust redhorse — a freshwater fish found in the coastal plain and the piedmont. "The redhorse has been looked for a lot in the last 15 years, and we have found only two specimens," says Starnes. Mollusk Collections In the next room, freshwater and marine invertebrates crowd the shelves. In the freshwater section, there are about 175 species of bivalves, including freshwater clams found in all 17 river basins in North Carolina, and crayfish. "Freshwater clams are the most endangered species in North America," says Arthur Bogan, the museum's curator of aquatic invertebrates. "We have already lost about 32 species in North America. Since the clams live in rivers and streams, many of their habitats have been destroyed. Dams and pollution have caused most of the problems." Bogan says freshwater clams are unique because of their strong ties to fish. Each mussel larvae attaches itself to a specific species of fish, including minnows, darters, bass and some catfish. To find out more about freshwater clams, Bogan is studying several species from Southeast Asia. "There are some clams in China that appear to be closely related to clams in North America," he says. The mollusk collection includes wet and dry specimens. A small scotch bonnet seashell — which is the state seashell — sits on a shelf near ajar of scallops. Salamanders to Turtles Moving into the next area, Braswell is like a walking encyclopaedia on different species of salamanders. As a herpetologist, Braswell has done extensive research on the Neuse River water dog and other amphibians. In the primitive section of salamanders, the Neuse River water dog collection includes specimens, eggs, skeletons and even stomach contents. "For each species, we try to document the different life stages," says Braswell. As the salamander becomes more genetically advanced, you see a jar with a congo eel that can grow to be three feet in length. In the shelves filled with frog specimens, there are many varieties of species — from a toad frog to the tree frog. As we approach the small oak toad that breeds in ephemeral ponds in piney woods, Braswell makes a "peep, peep" sound that echoes across the room. "The small toad's call is like a baby chicken," he says. Because turtles can get quite large, many of these specimens are housed in big tanks filled with alcohol. As Braswell opens one tank, you see a female turtle with a beige shell lying on top of another turtle's green head. In the next tank, several Kemp's ridley sea turtles — which are on the state's endangered list—are floating in alcohol. On a nearby shelf, a 40-pound, mounted, brown snapping turtle that was on display at the museum for years dominates the area. "Arsenic was used in the mount for the turtle to keep off the bugs," says Braswell. 18 SUMMER 2001

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