The North Carolina Coastal Reserve (NCCR) program began in 1989. Its mission is to protect North Carolina's unique coastal sites. NCCR is currently comprised of ten reserves. The coastal reserves act as living laboratories for research, education and management.
The National Undersea Research Center for the Southeastern US is located at UNCW's Center for Marine Science and is funded by a grant from NOAA. The center operates Aquarius, which is an underwater laboratory located 3.5 miles off the Florida Keys in 60 feet of water.
NC Sea Grant works with all public and private stakeholders to develop new research information that is then applied to coastal resource issues or opportunities. It is an inter-institutional program of the UNC System, is administered by NCSU, and receives funding from NOAA and the State of North Carolina. This is Sea Grant's southern coast extension office. NC Sea Grant
The Center for Marine Science at UNC-Wilmington promotes a multi-disciplinary approach to marine science research.
To lean more about the Center for Marine Science, please visit their landing page.
The Coastal Ocean Research and Monitoring Program (CORMP) is housed at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, and was established in 2000 as part of the Integrated Ocean Observing System. CORMP receives the majority of its funding through NOAA.
The UNCW MarineQuest program offers educational opportunities to Pre-K - 12 students interested in environmental aspects of coastal North Carolina.
MARBIONC, which stands for Marine Biotechnology in North Carolina, is focused on the discovery of new products derived from marine organisms. Through research, new product development, and resulting company formation, MARBIONC will contribute to the economic development of North Carolina.
At 5,046 acres, Masonboro Island is the largest undisturbed barrier island along the southern coast of North Carolina. This national estuarine research reserve is a pristine barrier island and estuarine system.
The Wilmington District of the US Army Corps of Engineers operates predominately in North Carolina and south central Virginia. The Corps has maintained a permanent office in Wilmington since 1884.
Established in the early 1980's, the North Carolina Biotechnology Center (NCBC) is responsible for promoting the development of the biotechnology industry statewide. Marine biotechnology is a major focus for this office.