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CMAST News

Feb 28, 2024

Buckel Earns Professorship

Congratulations to Dr. Jeffrey Buckel, NC State University professor at the Center for Marine Sciences and Technology (CMAST), who is one of twelve recipients of this year’s William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professors in the University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. This Neal Professorship is one of the highest honors one can receive within the College,…

Feb 23, 2024

Pygmy Sperm Whale Exhumed for Research

Earlier this month, students, staff, and volunteers with the Bonehenge Whale Center, NC Maritime Museum, NC Aquariums, NC Division of Marine Fisheries, and NC State CMAST carefully exhumed the skeletal remains of an adult male pygmy sperm whale that stranded on the beach of Nags Head, NC on November 3, 2021.  Staff from the NC Wildlife…

Jan 31, 2024

New Oyster Project Funded through NOAA

The NC State University Center for Marine Sciences and Technology (CMAST), is collaborating with the NC Coastal Federation and the NC Central University to build oyster sanctuaries while increasing diversity in the field of marine sciences.  The $14.9 million grant project, titled, “Completing the Pamlico Sound Oyster Sanctuary and Training the Next Generation of Restoration Professionals,”…

Jan 23, 2024

Welcome to the Spring 2024 Semester at CMAST Cohort

The NC State University Center for Marine Sciences and Technology welcomes a new group of  students to its Semester at CMAST program!  Now in its eighth year, Semester a CMAST is an academic, experiential learning experience that provides opportunities for select NC State undergraduate students to study coastal and marine sciences from CMAST in Morehead City.   During…

Jan 23, 2024

Cold-stunned Sea Turtles Arrive at CMAST

The NC State University Center for Marine Sciences and Technology (CMAST) took in 109 cold-stunned sea turtles from Cape Lookout on Sunday.  Unfortunately, only 36 of them survived.  Deceased turtles will be necropsied and used for research.  Surviving turtles are being examined and treated at CMAST.  Afterwards, they will be transferred to the NC Aquarium at…

Jan 23, 2024

CMAST Director Elected as Vice President and President Elect of National Association of Marine Labs

Congratulations to Dr. David Eggleston (left), director of the NC State University Center for Marine Sciences and Technology (CMAST), who has been elected as Vice President & President-Elect of the National Association of Marine Labs. This association represents over 100 labs in the US. One of the main duties of this position is serving as Chair…

Jan 23, 2024

Eggleston/LaCroce Publish Article on Bay Scallops

Congratulations to Melissa LaCroce, NC State University research assistant at the NC State Center for Marine Sciences and Technology (CMAST), and Dr. David Eggleston, director of CMAST, who have published an article on the population density and size of bay scallops in North Carolina (NC) Sounds.  The article, titled, Patterns and Processes Underlying Spatiotemporala Patiotemporal Variation in…

Jan 16, 2024

What is Causing Marine Mammal Strandings along Coastal NC?

Morehead City, NC – In the past four years, an average of ninety-two marine mammal strandings per year have occurred along the central coast of North Carolina (NC).  According to Dr. Vicky Thayer, Marine Mammal Stranding Coordinator for the NC Division of Marine Fisheries, NC “has the highest diversity of marine mammal strandings of any…

Zoological Medicine Residents Laura Martinelli and Nick Dannemiller, UNC-Wilmington faculty Ann Pabst and Bill McLellan, NC Stranding Response Coordinator and NC State adjunct faculty member, Vicky Thayer, Craig Harms, and NC State CVM Associate Dean Anthony Blikslager conduct a postmortem exam on the male sperm whale. Not shown: R. Owens (photographer) and G. Lewbart (manning the boat).

Dec 19, 2023

Sperm Whale Stranded at Cape Lookout

The weekend before Christmas, a team of anglers that included NC State veterinarians, Drs. Greg Lewbart and Anthony Blikslager, discovered a recently deceased sperm whale stranded near the point on Cape Lookout. The group contacted Dr. Craig Harms, Director of Marine Health at the Center for Marine Sciences and Technology (CMAST), who called Dr. Vicky Thayer,…

Group photo prior to postmortem examination of striped dolphin (photo by Vicky Thayer).

Dec 7, 2023

Marine Mammal Health Course Hosted at CMAST

Twelve NC State veterinary students recently spent the week at the Center for Marine Sciences and Technology (CMAST) learning about marine mammal health and medicine in a course led by Dr. Craig Harms and Dr. Michael Stoskopf. In addition to lectures by an array of marine mammal biologists and veterinarians, students have had the opportunity to…