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Coastal Economies

From Currituck to Sunset Beach, North Carolina’s coast is a vibrant and dynamic place to live, work, and recreate.  The region’s natural beauty and quality of life have led to rapid growth in recent decades that raises important tradeoffs between economic development and environmental quality. Two of the region’s key economic sectors, tourism and fishing, are heavily dependent on its environmental and natural resources. Climate change (sea-level rise, salt-water intrusion, and increased storm frequency and intensity) and water pollution (nutrient loads, chemicals, and sediment) pose a growing challenge to the region’s economy. ARE researchers have responded by investigated a range of timely issues including:

Consistent with NC State’s land-grant mission, researchers continue to share their research findings with stakeholders, policymakers, students, and the general public through outreach and extension publications and presentations.

THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF NC SEAFOOD