The Monitor National Marine Sanctuary (MNMS) was the nation's first sanctuary, originally established in 1975 to protect the famous civil war ironclad shipwreck, the USS Monitor. Since 2008, sanctuary sponsored archeological research has branched out to include historically significant U-boats and World War II shipwrecks within the larger Graveyard of the Atlantic off the coast of North Carolina. These shipwrecks are not only important for their cultural value, but also as habitat for a wide diversity of fishes, invertebrates and algal species. Additionally, due to their unique location within an important area for biological productivity, the sanctuary and other culturally valuable shipwrecks within the Graveyard of the Atlantic are potential sites for examining community change.
Artificial habitats have been used for centuries to successfully modify environments for the benefit of Man. In the aquatic environment, the use of artificial habitat technologies is of growing interest worldwide. Opportunities exist in both developed and developing nations to apply these technologies in many areas, including classical scientific investigations of ecosystem structure and function, engineering advances in underwater technology, and fisheries and environmental management. The applications of artificial habitat technologies are taking on ever greater economic, social, and environmental importance globally, not only in developed countries such as Japan where highly sophisticated technologies are used, but also in developing nations, where lower cost practices are in use. There is growing pressure to increase production, while at the same time preserve or enhance the environments and ecosystems surrounding fisheries. This book provides a comprehensive review of the facts, issues, and global trends emerging regarding the use of artificial habitats in aquatic ecosystems. It presents the most recent scientific advances in ecology and engineering technologies related to the building of artificial habitats, and it also presents many of the fisheries management and socioeconomic and environmental issues. Artificial Habitats for Marine and Freshwater Fisheries will be of interest to a broad audience including natural resource scientists, planners, and managers, particularly those interested in aquatic and fisheries science and management; organizations and individuals interested in commercial and recreational fishing; ecologists; environmental economists, engineers, lawyers, and social scientists; and geographers. Presents a global scope Draws together, for the first time, disparate literature Contains contributions by authors in the United States and Japan Features engineering chapters that focus on Japanese advanced technology often not available to the English language audience
"The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is responsible for oversight and management of the development of energy resources on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). In 2012, BOEM identified three Wind Energy Call Areas and later defined Wind Energy Areas on the OCS of North Carolina. Presently, sufficient uncertainty exists regarding cumulative impacts to ecosystem services such as essential fish habitat and maritime cultural resources as a result of the construction or operation of offshore energy facilities to merit preliminary studies. From rocky outcrops to shipwrecks, hardbottom habitats serve as essential fish habitat for reef fisheries off of North Carolina and along the southeast OCS. This project accomplished the primary objective of describing and delineating rocky outcrops, within the Wilmington-East Call Area. The delineation of rocky outcrops and artificial hardbottom habitats guided an intensive diver visual assessment characterizing the benthic and fish communities, the seasonal changes in communities, and influences of sand and sediment movement around hardbottom habitats. This report is the result of a collaborative effort between the University of North Carolina Institute of Marine Sciences and NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management"--Executive summary. [doi:10.7289/V5VM499B (http://dx.doi.org/10.7289/V5VM499B)]
The shipwrecks of the Graveyard of the Atlantic are a prime subject for heritage tourism development in North Carolina. Education about these irreplaceable cultural resources, and effective interpretation of them, is critical for their protection and preservation. Development of interpretive means for shipwrecks would foster heritage tourism, which would serve to educate the public about archaeological resources, and promote local economies. However, these benefits must be balanced with sustainable use and protection of the resources. This study of heritage tourism development for North Carolina shipwrecks consists of a comparative evaluation of existing programs for shipwreck interpretation and protection. Evaluation is based on quantitative data, the qualitative measures of community involvement, effective interpretation, and active management, as well as each program's tradeoffs and accomplishment of its stated goals. The outcomes are also assessed for their feasibility in North Carolina, based on its shipwrecks, physical environmental conditions, political climate and initiative, and other relevant factors. The ultimate product is a series of recommendations for North Carolina of alternatives that may be most effective and feasible. The selected programs represent a wide range of interpretive methods, and target diverse audiences. Four North Carolina programs are evaluated, all of which are recommended for continuation and expansion. Six programs from outside North Carolina are also evaluated, four of which are recommended for creation in North Carolina. Analysis of the policy implications of each program provides insight into how the recommendations may be approached to maximize their chances of successful implementation. The further development of heritage tourism programs along the North Carolina coast will have a significant positive impact on local communities and on the maritime heritage of the Graveyard of the Atlantic. The growth and expansion of programs designed to protect, preserve, and interpret shipwrecks would increase public stewardship of these irreplaceable cultural resources, and stimulate local economies via job creation and tourism.
