At its core, the Federation is a grassroots organization that has grown over the past four decades through the dedicated support of its members and supporters. Each of our three offices works at the community level to restore coastal habitats and water quality and provide engaging community programs. Your contributions are vital to our success, enabling us to secure additional investments for crucial coastal restoration projects through diverse funding sources, including private foundations and competitive state and federal grants. 

These investments have allowed us to collaborate with numerous local companies, ranging from marine contractors to engineering and consulting firms, to support our coastal communities. Through large-scale restoration efforts, we’ve made significant strides in improving water quality, cleaning up marine debris, restoring oyster reefs, and bolstering flood resilience for agricultural communities.

While we are grateful for the broad spectrum of support that fuels our mission, we also acknowledge the ongoing challenges in navigating the funding landscape. With proposed reductions and uncertainties surrounding many federal programs, support from our local partners and people like you – is more important than ever in protecting and restoring North Carolina’s beautiful coast. Thank you for being an integral part of our journey! 

See you soon at the Coast,

Braxton Davis

Great Food and Great Company

Thank you to everyone who attended this year’s Hatteras Island Oyster Roast. It was truly a memorable event! Spending time with our community while enjoying great music, oysters, and food made the day even more special. This year, we served up 52 bushels of oysters, and we successfully recycled all the shells, which will aid several of our upcoming restoration projects along the coast.

We would also like to thank our event sponsors. Your support makes this event special each year. We can’t wait for next year’s gathering!

Photo by Daniel Pullen

Artificial Reef Construction Begins at Carolina Beach State Park

The Coastal Federation and the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) are partnering to complete the construction of an oyster and recreational fishing reef in the Lower Cape Fear River. This project will result in an additional 4 acres of shallow reef habitat in DMF’s Artificial Reef, AR-491 just offshore of Carolina Beach State Park.

“The completion of this reef is an important step in the implementation of the Cape Fear River Oyster Pathway”, said Ted Wilgis, a coastal scientist with the Federation. The Oyster Pathway will eventually extend downriver to Bald Head Island, connecting the remaining natural reefs with reefs constructed by Audubon NC, UNCW, and the Bald Head Island Conservancy.

The Oyster Pathway is one of the major components of the Federation’s Lower Cape Fear Blueprint, which involves multiple partners in improving the river and surrounding watershed’s overall health and water quality. The blueprint and the Oyster Pathway are supported by funding from Grady-White Boats and The Orton Foundation, an affiliate of The Moore Charitable Foundation.

Check out this news story by WECT to learn more about the project.

Join Us in April for the 2025 Coastal Summit

In April, the Coastal Federation will hold a special two-day event, the 2025 Coastal Summit: The Ripple Effect- Enhancing Oysters, Salt Marsh and Water Quality Together. This summit will highlight the progress and interconnectivity of work related to the advancing science, restoration, and preservation of many important coastal ecosystems. Hosted by the Coastal Federation at the Marbles Kids Museum in Raleigh, this summit will feature the work of the Federation and the many partners who are working diligently to advance Oyster, Salt Marsh, and Water Quality initiatives in the state. 

This event will convene decision-makers, including legislators, and partners from North Carolina and other states. Register today to reserve your spot. Be sure to visit our website to view the planned agenda and take advantage of early bird registration pricing until March 1. 

Learn More

Cleaning up the Coast

Recently with the help of dozens of volunteers, our three regional offices each hosted marine debris clean-ups that netted hundreds of pounds of trash and other debris. 

Marine debris is a major problem plaguing the coast but with the help of commercial fishing crews, local, state, and federal government agencies, and most importantly with the help of the community, we are fighting back against this problem and making great strides to prevent it from entering our coastal ecosystems in the first place. 

We would like to thank everyone who spent time along our coastal highways and marshes helping us clean up.

While picking up trash and debris usually yields many of the same items like plastic cups, cigarette butts, and household trash, we sometimes find some pretty interesting things. Volunteers in Atlantic Beach during this year’s volunteer clean-up found several messages in a bottle! 

Coins 4 Conservation Supports the Coast

We’d like to thank the Inlet Inn in Beaufort for its continued support of the Coastal Federation through its Coins 4 Conservation program. 

Coins 4 Conservation is a voluntary giving program that creates fundraising partnerships between community businesses and trusted nonprofit eco-partners serving our North Carolina coastline. The Coastal Federation along with several other nonprofit organizations has been the recipients of the generosity of countless individuals staying at the Inlet Inn and the businesses that have also joined forces to support this effort. 

If you’d like to learn more about Coins 4 Conservation or how you can get involved, visit their website.

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In the News