Welcome! to the Rachel Carson Component of the North Carolina National Estuarine Research Reserve in Beaufort, North Carolina. You are about to embark on a tour of the Reserve from the comfort of your own chair, and even though we think there is no substitute for actually being there, we hope to entice you to visit  and hope you enjoy your tour. 

As the state with the third largest estuarine area in the United States, North Carolina supports an especially great diversity of plant and animal species because it is located in the transitional latitudes between southern and northern species ranges. As a result, we enjoy the special opportunities of finding tropical species coexisting with temperate species in our waters. The North Carolina National Estuarine Research Reserve (NCNERR) is comprised of four components spanning the 300-mile length of barrier islands and representing the estuarine diversity of the state. These components are from North to south: Currituck Banks (Currituck County), Rachel Carson (Carteret County), Masonboro Island (New Hanover County), Zeke’s Island (Brunswick-New Hanover Counties). The Rachel Carson component is named in honor of the researcher and writer who briefly conducted research there in the 1940s and made people aware of the importance of the coastal ecosystem.

The NCNERR sites are also partnered with Coastal Reserve sites that represent other important coastal habitats.  From north to south these sites are: Kitty Hawk Woods (Dare County), Buxton Woods (Dare County), Buckridge Richardson and Emily Prior site (Hyde County), Permuda Island (Onslow County) and Bald Head Woods (New Hanover County).

The Rachel Carson site is located across from the Town of Beaufort in a tidal river and sound where the Newport and North rivers meet the Atlantic Ocean (Latitude 34 41', Longitude 76 33').  The site is a complex of salt marshes, tidal mud and sand flats, eelgrass beds, and upland islands created by dredge material deposits.

The ½ mile trail loop, marked with numbered posts and described here, will introduce you to habitats as well as the plants and animals that live in this important natural area. There will be seasonal variations in which organisms are seen.  Low tide is the best time to follow the trail.  If you do come to visit the site, please check for other recommendations, such as shoes and clothing.

Continue with the trip.

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