Megan May

Minke Whale in the Outer Banks

As I pull up to the Carova Beach access point, I’m a little nervous. Signs warn only four-wheel drive vehicles are permitted and to let air out of the tires. I’ve heard lots about the popular spot in the Outer Banks — known for its wild horse population and remote location — but this is my first visit. Plus, I’m using Mark’s truck.

There’s some sliding of the vehicle in the deep, soft tracks, but after a few minutes I get the hang of things and can take in the view. Fresh from heavy storms, the Atlantic waves crash ashore in droves. Sea birds swoop and dive for their morning meals. About 20 minutes and one slightly precarious detour later I spot what I’ve come here for.

I park the truck, hop out, and take in the sight of a 26-foot female minke whale. In the whale world, she’s not a giant but to someone who has never seen a whale in person, she’s massive. It’s too bad my first encounter is under these circumstances.

It’s not long before the others arrive — researchers from NC State University, the NC Division of Marine Fisheries, UNC Wilmington, the North Carolina Aquarium, Jennette’s Pier, and volunteers are here to perform a necropsy.

The whale was the third found in the area in just as many days. Earlier that week a humpback whale washed ashore in Virginia Beach, followed by another at False Cape State Park. The same day this necropsy was performed, a pregnant dwarf sperm whale and juvenile male dwarf sperm whale washed ashore in nearby Nags Head. The following day, a bottlenose dolphin was also found at Nags Head and a common dolphin was found at Southern Shores.

Since 2017, elevated minke whale mortalities have occurred along the Atlantic coast from Maine through South Carolina, totaling 164 as of 2023. Minke whales aren’t alone in this predicament — according to NOAA, unusual mortality events are also active for the Atlantic Florida manatee, gray whale, North Atlantic right whale, and humpback whale. Causes range from vessel strikes, fishing entanglements, disease, and changes in ecological factors.

A hot debate right now is the effect of offshore wind on marine life, but these claims are not supported by research. Additionally, far right groups are proponents of this in their efforts to block green energy projects.

No evidence of human interaction was found on this whale, but she had obvious signs of a bacterial infection throughout her body. At this point though, more analysis is needed before a conclusion can be made.

While it’s unusual to find this many strandings so close together in space and time, Craig Harms, a researcher from the NC State College of Veterinary Medicine and Center for Marine Sciences and Technology, says that may just be an unfortunate statistical anomaly due to strong currents and waves bringing carcasses ashore that may have otherwise been left at sea.

“Although if this persists,” he adds, “I could change my mind really quick.”

When a whale dies offshore, the carcass eventually sinks and becomes a whale fall — providing a food and habitat for deep sea scavengers, invertebrates, and microbes for years or even decades (check out this amazing video of a whale fall in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary).

When a whale carcass washes ashore, it’s body is used in a different way.

The main purpose of a necropsy is to investigate the cause of death, but samples are also taken to support a myriad of research. Tissue was collected to study diet and dive physiology. Her eyes will be used in research about marine mammal vision. Feces were collected for parasitology analysis. Her dorsal fin was radiographed to map out blood vessels and inform future biological sampling on live animals. Additionally, a variety of samples were gathered to archive for future research or share with collaborators.

While it’s sad to see the death of such an intelligent and impressive animal, it’s beautiful that — like in a whale fall — her body will support life for years to come, via science.

Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge

As the trail breaks into an open clearing, I feel a wave of relief. Trees draped in Spanish moss surround a prairie of tall grasses and bright yellow flowers. Thousands of lily pads carpet the water’s surface.

Mark and I spent the past six hours paddling to our first camping platform in the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. I was warned that this leg would be difficult. Paddling twelve miles without the help of a current would be a challenge in even the best conditions. Per usual, I didn’t heed the warnings.

“Well, yea it’s marked ‘difficult’ but I think if you compare us to the general population we’d come out towards the top in terms of fitness,” I rationalized to Mark.

Correction: Mark comes out towards the top, I do not.

Exhausted but happy, I settle on the dock thinking about the 33 miles and four more days ahead of us.

Saturated strokes of pink, orange, and purple sweep across the sky. A barred owl’s “who cooks for youuu?” calls are eventually drowned out by the prehistoric squawks of sandhill cranes passing overhead. In their absence, insects and frogs fill the soundscape. A bat enters the scene swooping and diving to snatch up the gathering skeeters. As the last sunlight is finally extinguished, the star of the show arrives — a young gator emerges from the shoreline, lazily floating across the open water but always keeping a wary eye on us.

This is the Okefenokee magic I’ve heard so much about.

At 438,000 acres — about 680 square miles — Okefenokee is the largest blackwater swamp in North America. Straddling the Florida-Georgia line, it’s home to hundreds of plant and animal species, including some threatened and endangered. Being a peatland, it also stores a huge amount of carbon, filters water, and is mitigation for both flooding and drought. It’s no wonder why the refuge is designated as a Wetland of International Importance and has recently been nominated as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Unfortunately, like many of our wetlands, the Okefenokee is under threat. Twin Pines Minerals has applied for mining permits nearby for the extraction of titanium and zirconium. While the company insists it can safely strip mine the 773 acres near the swamp without causing harm, experts disagree.

One of the most alarming consequences of the mine would be depleting the area’s groundwater, which would lower water levels, destroy vital habitat, and increase the chances of drought and wildfire.

This isn’t the first time the Okefenokee has been under threat. In the past decades, local communities, politicians, and activists have stepped in to defend her. Hopefully they will prevail again. The swamp’s accolades help in the fight, but most wetlands aren’t so lucky — particularly as of late.

This past spring, a Supreme Court ruling severed federal protections for up to 63 percent of wetlands by acreage in the United States in the Sackett v. EPA ruling. Under the Clean Water Act, wetlands were protected if they had a “significant nexus” — chemical, physical, and biological links — to larger bodies of water. The Court’s new definition includes only those with a “continuous surface connection” to a protected body of water.

Their ignorance is mind-blowing.

I’ve always had a deep love for nature. It’s where I experience the most joy and the most peace. It’s what I seek out to feel something and where I retreat to when I feel too much.

That’s why this constant destruction upsets me so much. I’m angry. And I want more people to be angry too. And I’m angry that more people aren’t angry.

While I loved our trip I can’t suppress the underlying sadness and anxiety thinking of what we will continue to lose in the name of “progress.” It’s difficult for me to process this duality of emotions, but I think Annie Proulx nailed it when saying “If your delight is in contemplating landscapes and wild places, the sweetness will be laced with ever-sharpening pain.”

For now I guess it’s best to keep plugging away at my work and savor those moments in the magic.

24 Hours at the Rice Rivers Center

Wetlands are vital for the variety of ecosystems and species they support, and the role they play in flood mitigation and water filtration. They are also great carbon sinks — absorbing and storing huge amounts of carbon from the atmosphere. A 2022 article by NOAA points to studies suggesting mangroves and coastal wetlands can capture ten times more carbon than mature tropical forests. They also store three to five times more carbon per equivalent area.

Now for a twist — wetlands also release methane. One reason for this is because of microbial activity in the soil. Microbes feed on organic matter and produce methane as a waste product. In fact, wetlands are the largest natural source of this greenhouse gas.

The factors that affect the exchange of carbon and methane in wetlands are numerous, complex, and don’t necessarily mirror those in more thoroughly studied terrestrial ecosystems. Sara Tenda, a VCU masters student in Chris Gough’s lab at the VCU Rice Rivers Center, is studying how saltwater intrusion and nutrient runoff affect this gas exchange in a tidal freshwater ecosystem.

Throughout the summer, researchers monitored this carbon cycling in a series of experimental ecosystems at the center. A few weeks ago I joined the team in a 24-hour field intensive. I figured 24-hour fieldwork would entail collecting data for a few hours, taking a break for a few hours and then continue data collection. I should have taken the term “intensive” more seriously.

Over the course of 24-hours, teams worked in 8 hour shifts to continuously collect data from these ecosystems. The 24-hour cycle gave a deeper insight into how photosynthesis and real-time tides affect this gas exchange.

Funded by the Department of Energy and in collaboration with universities across the country, this work is part of a large modeling project hoping to gain a better understanding of this important process.

Restoring the Hampton River

Sometimes environmental research is conducted in seemingly remote or pristine locations. The majority of it is not.

Some days it’s in a polluted river, under the overpass, in the backyard of your office. That’s where you can find marine ecologist Joey Reustle, grad student Lucia Ramirez-Joseph, and undergrad T’Kiyah Reeves, of Hampton University. On this particularly hot afternoon, the trio were collecting specimen from traps they set on oyster reefs in the Hampton River.

Back in the lab, Hampton University masters student Lucia Ramirez-Joseph processes their finds. Her project analyzes the community structure of oyster reefs. Specifically, she is investigating whether the animals found on reefs are dictated by those at the top of the food chain — i.e. predators — or the bottom, like vegetation and nutrients. Her findings will help inform prospective oyster reef restoration.

Many students don’t conduct fieldwork until their late undergrad or masters program, but Ramirez-Joseph’s experience is unique. Both of her parents are academics — her mother is a linguist at the University of Puerto Rico and her father is an aquatic ecologist at North Carolina State University. She shares memories of helping her dad with field work, collecting dragonflies in urban ecosystems in Puerto Rico.

But Ramirez-Joseph wanted to forge her own path, and thought of going to medical school instead of pursuing a biology degree like her parents. An internship studying sharks and stingrays at Georgia Southern University changed everything.

“They pushed me to apply and I ended up getting it,” she says. “I had the best time of my life and I was like ‘I see what they mean.’ I realized fieldwork was what I loved. My project was very simple but it was fun getting to go out and catch these sharks and stingrays and learn about them. I think that pretty much changed my whole life.”

Croatia

After four years, Mark and I took a long-awaited big trip. Croatia exceeded our expectations — delicious food, a deep history, friendly people and one of the most beautiful places I’ve been.

UNC School of Data Science and Society

For better or worse, data is pervasive in every area of life. Our physical activity, internet search queries, purchasing and television preferences, and driving tendencies are all tracked through means like smart devices, financial transactions, and security cameras.

It seems like the saying “there’s data supporting this” has become the new “I saw it on TV” or “I read it on the internet.” Because of this persuasive force, it’s imperative that college students have a holistic understanding of data. That’s where the UNC School of Data Science and Society (SDSS) comes in. Launched in 2022, the school is centered around progressing the field of data science and understanding how it impacts society.

“Data has a persuasive force. It has the ability to make arguments seem more plausible, more impactful, more strong,” says Stan Ahalt, dean of SDSS and professor of computer science. “People who use data have a persuasive podium. That podium can be used for very positive things, but it also could be used to distort things in a certain way.”

SDSS will launch its online Master of Applied Data Science program in January 2024. Graduates will gain general skills in programming, statistics, mathematics, and data management, ethics, and governance, as well as specialized skills in machine learning, visualization, and communication. This program will be followed by undergraduate and graduate degrees and a certificate program for working professionals.

The goal is to give students multiple avenues to incorporate data science courses into their degree. This cross-disciplinary focus also drives how SDSS approaches research.

“We’re not just a silo as a school,” says Jay Aikat, vice dean of SDSS and research professor of computer science. “The success of the school really depends on having very strong collaboration with many different units across campus for UNC as a whole to be a data science powerhouse.”

Society of Environmental Journalists Conference

In April, I attended the Society of Environmental Journalists conference in Boise and it was just what I needed. I learned so much about environmental issues in the West and I’m excited to apply that knowledge to what I’m seeing in the Southeast. I met journalists from a variety of backgrounds and I’m excited to continue the conversations we started. I was able to reconnect with colleagues from my past and I’m excited to see what they do with their talents. I’m full of inspiration and energy and I can’t wait to see what this next year brings.

VCU School of Pharmacy

This winter, I worked with the VCU School of Pharmacy to highlight stories from nontraditional students. Even before the pandemic, more and more people were finding the path to higher-level education was not straightforward — people enter with a variety of backgrounds, go back to school to change careers, and sometimes find themselves on unexpected trajectories. This project with VCU highlights the new educational normal, and gives advice to prospective students looking pursue a doctor of pharmacy at VCU.

Over 20 years after earning her bachelor’s degree in chemistry from VCU, Erika Nixon-Lambert is back in the classroom — this time as a first-year pharmacy student. Nixon-Lambert enjoyed a long and successful career in cosmetics but wanted something more. In pursuing her doctorate, she hopes to combine her background in cosmetics with her pharmacy education to build a career in compounding medically-grade cosmetic products.

Nixon-Lambert says changing careers after a decade in the field may seem unconventional, but these days unconventional is the norm.

“The nontraditional student is the student of the future,” she says. “Not everyone goes from undergrad, goes into grad school, stays in a career and then eventually retires. That’s almost becoming a rare scenario these days.”

Like many students entering college, Nick DiStefano experienced growing pains his first year of pharmacy school at the University of Maryland. Underestimating the dedication and discipline needed to be successful, DiStefano left the program after three semesters.

Taking some time off, he realized he couldn’t give up on is dream of becoming a pharmacist. He credits staff and faculty at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Pharmacy with giving him the confidence to give it another try.

“When I applied to the VCU School of Pharmacy, I knew my application was going to be unique compared to others. I was able to actually have a one-on-one interview with Dean O and he really just made me feel like I would do well here. He was just very reassuring and letting me know that obstacles happen, failures happen, it’s what you do after you have that failure that really turns that into something.”

Now a third-year pharmacy student at VCU, DiStefano is not only thriving in the classroom but he is also the president of the VCU chapter of the Virginia Society of Health-System Pharmacists, helping fellow students reach their full potential.

Jalynn Mabry has worked hard for every credit received in her education.

“Compared to other students, I’ve always been aware that I’ve had to kind of study a bit harder to understand the same material and that has been my entire life experience so pharmacy school is no different,” she says.

Mabry’s resilience paired with hands-on experience has made her a successful student at the VCU School of Pharmacy. Introduced to the field through an internship at Kroger Pharmacy, she has since worked in a cardiologist office and the VCU cardiac catheterization lab.

“A word of advice that I would give to rising students is to surround yourself with people in that field that you want to be in because I didn’t come from a family that were doctors or nurses or had a hand in the health-profession field,” she says. “So, I had to put myself in those spaces.”

Bird Nerding in the Outer Banks

A lot of my greatest adventures have been with my mom — taking our horses out West, scuba diving in Bonaire, admiring the beauty of the Galápagos, trekking through the backcountry of Banff (in snowstorms, on horseback), and getting lost in Germany — just to name a few. This was one of the more tame, but definitely for the books: bird nerding in eastern Virginia and North Carolina.

As a wintering spot for many species, this area is world-renowned for birding. With 12 national wildlife refuges right after the other, I’m grateful to live close to such a special place.

Distinguished Professors, UNC Development

This fall, I worked with the UNC Office of Development on a project that was part of their 5-year “Campaign for Carolina” finale. The series featured a variety of researchers with distinguished professorships. After a year away from UNC it was good to reconnect with folks and a great first assignment as a freelancer.

Smith Mountain Lake

A Community Collaboration

At the end of a gravel road, tucked deep into the woods, bald cypress trees dot the shoreline of Bennett’s Mill Pond. Great blue herons wade in the shallows, searching for their next meal. It’s July in North Carolina, and time on the water would be the perfect way to enjoy some peace and quiet. But not today.

Haley Plaas pulls on a pair of rubber gloves. She lays on the dock and gently reaches her hand in. A mucus- like substance clings to her glove as she pulls back, leaving stringy threads on the water’s surface. While brilliant in color, the network of blue scum across the pond is dangerous cyanobacteria, a type of harmful algae.

Sometimes confused with aquatic plants like duckweed, cyanobacteria can vary from looking like green or blue-green opaque, thin mats to translucent paint or dye. Blooms pose a threat to the local environment — leading to fish kills, ecosystem damage, and drinking water contamination. They can also cause illness in humans and death among pets and wildlife.

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) occur naturally, but human activities increase their frequency and intensity. HABs feed on nutrient runoff — anything from leaky septic tanks to fertilizers and industrial waste. While the U.S. South has dealt with this for years, it’s a growing global environmental issue exacerbated by climate change. Increased surface temperatures lead to warmer waters, and more extreme storms are followed by periods of drought. That combination is a perfect recipe for the algae — storms increase nutrient runoff into waterways, and then drought leads to stagnant, warm water.

While cyanobacteria directly impacts water quality, less is known about how it affects air quality. Enter Plaas, a PhD candidate in environmental science and engineering at UNC-Chapel Hill.

HABs emit cells and chemical compounds that travel as tiny atmospheric particles, called aerosols. Plaas has partnered with the Chowan Edenton Environmental Group (CEEG) to deploy PurpleAir air sensors along North Carolina’s Chowan River, part of the Albemarle-Pamlico estuarine system. Their goal is to see if blooms correlate with poor air quality due to an increase in these aerosols, and generate a wealth of accessible data in areas that are underreported.

CEEG educates the public about environmental issues and supports research efforts in the area.

“Water quality is a key issue here. It’s a big part of our livelihood,” says Colleen Karl, chair of the CEEG. “It affects the economy — just look at the number of people that commercially and recreationally fish. Farming is tied into it because they use the water for irrigation, among a number of other reasons. There’s also a lot of people that buy houses in the area because they want to be on the water. So it’s a concern for a lot of people.”

In the study, funded by NC Sea Grant and the Water Resources Institute, Karl engages the community — finding volunteers to host sensors, scouting blooms, collecting water samples, and building local partnerships. Plaas serves as scientific oversight and determines areas to install sensors, conducts lab experiments, and builds statistical models for the data.

Collaborations like this are vital to Plaas’ research.

“By directly collaborating with community scientists you’re connected to a network of people who are seeing these environmental issues every day,” she says. “It’s really important to put community members in the driver’s seat. […] I know this can’t be possible for all research, but for a lot of environmental and public health research it’s crucial to get feedback from the communities that you’re hoping to have an impact in.”

Like her work in the Albemarle Sound, Plaas is also monitoring air and water quality in the San Francisco Bay Delta Estuary to see if harmful algal blooms contribute to air pollution, and if toxins in the water can go airborne. Her experiments in the lab at UNC explore how gasses emitted from blue-green algae might condense in the atmosphere as a liquid and then travel as aerosol.

The PurpleAir project examines air and water quality in the Albemarle-Pamlico estuarine system, with a focus on the Chowan River. Not only does this region experience more blooms than other areas of the state, it also has a high prevalence of asthma among the population. Additionally, the size of the estuarine system — the second largest in the country — means that high wind and wave action can contribute to toxins moving easily through the river and its tributaries.

Karl, a former high school teacher and science outreach coordinator for NC State University, is passionate about introducing others to world of environmental research. Today, she brings that same energy to her work with the CEEG.
“One goal of the CEEG is to increase understanding of changes we experience in our local ecosystems. […] We all want the best environmental planning for the communities we call home,” she says.
———-
Sending data to the PurpleAir website every 10 minutes, the sensors measure the number of particles in the air, as well as humidity and temperature.
“We don’t have any information about aerosol composition from these sensors, we just know the amount that’s there,” Plaas explains. “But, since we’re looking over a big area and over a seasonal trend we’ll be able to see a cause-and-effect. If we see a bloom, then in the following days are we seeing increases in aerosol particles?”

Plaas chats with CEEG member Cathy Woody while downloading sensor data at her house. The team plans to deploy up to 30 sensors along the Chowan River. This project is being conducted for two years, but the sensors last far longer— providing valuable public data even after the study wraps.

Members of CEEG analyze water samples to be sent to National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science phytoplankton monitoring network. The group partners with a myriad of research organizations including the UNC Institute of Marine Sciences, NC Sea Grant, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration offices in North and South Carolina, NC State University, the State Climate Office of North Carolina, and the North Carolina Department of Agriculture.
“If we can work with another agency, there’s a lot of mileage we can get out of that. It might come in the form of grant writing or a community event. It might come in the form of a partnership you never even thought about,” Karl says. “For our area especially — in rural Eastern North Carolina — partnerships like that can be vital.”

While the signs of a large bloom are obvious, smaller concentrations of cyanobacteria are invisible to the naked eye. Because of this, it’s important to not only know the visible warning signs, but also recognize when the conditions are ripe for a bloom. HABs prefer slow moving to stagnant, warm water with plentiful nutrient runoff.

Chip Wynns grew up on the Chowan River. His family owned a fish company from the 1950’s until it was destroyed by Hurricane Isabel in 2003. He and his wife, Reba Wynns, have lived on the property since 2015. The Wynns’ love for the river made it an easy decision to host an air sensor. While they’ve seen water quality issues since living there, it’s much better than years past.
“The 1980s was horrible,” Chip says. “I remember it looked like fried eggs floating on the water. You could take a stick and pick it up it was so thick — slime, clumps, green, just nasty. There was a lot of debate about why. I think industries took a lot of the hit for that.”

Barbara Putnam is the operations manager at the Museum of the Albemarle in Elizabeth City. The museum serves 13 counties, interpreting and telling the history of the region. When Putnam was approached about hosting a sensor, she saw a connection between the air quality project and the mission of the museum.
“What better way to preserve history, even if it’s an environmental recording and not the recording of an artifact?” she asks. “You’re taking data from the environment and then creating a history of that.”
———-
Lois Thompson says air quality is a concern for not only her health, but also her 9-year-old grandson’s. That concern fueled her decision to host an air sensor at her home in Edenton.
“You walk outside and sometimes you say, ‘Oh gosh, I’ve got a headache and I’ve just walked outside,’ and you don’t know what caused that headache. You don’t know if it’s something in your house or if you walked outside and there’s something in the air that you picked up,” she says. “You just want to know how the air is and what’s really going on around you.”
———-
Stephen Hammer has spent thousands of hours fishing in North Carolina — usually in preparation for bass tournaments. With that much time on the water, Hammer and his peers can share updates to researchers and environmental groups.
“We’re looking at water quality all the time,” he says. “What color is the water? Is it moving? Is it coming in, is it going out? […] If you’ve got algae, you better move ‘cause you ‘aint gonna catch no damn fish,” he says.
Fish and shellfish can absorb toxins into their bodies, but little is known about the human health risks associated with consuming affected meat. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends trimming the skin, fat, and internal organs — areas where toxins are most likely to accumulate — before cooking fish and to avoid eating the “mustard” of crab. The World Health Organization advises moderation in eating fish exposed to blue-green algae.

Albemarle Regional Health Services partners with researchers on a number of issues, including HABs. Besides the PurpleAir project, the public health facility is working with researchers at Duke University investigating the links between cyanobacteria and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Participating in research is a crucial part of serving the Albemarle community, says health director Ashely Stoop.
“You cannot be solely academic-driven and you cannot be solely practice-driven,” she says. “You’ve got to look at the data, and that academic component really helps us figure that data side out.”

Due to wind and wave action, HABs can move quickly through an ecosystem. An area can be healthy one instant and then contaminated in just a few hours. Cyanobacteria are the most common type of harmful algal bloom found in freshwater, although it can occur in brackish or saltwater as well. Historically an issue in hot climates, harmful algal blooms are now found across the globe and in all 50 states.

Plaas says engaging community scientists is not only practical — they host sensors, collect water samples, and notify authorities when blooms arise — but it’s also ethical.
“I see the intention of science to be seeking knowledge to improve and better our societies,” she says. “I think the only way that you can really know if you are doing research that’s going to improve a community is if you’re getting constant feedback from them the whole time.”

Lake Tahoe

After the craziness that was this year, a trip to Lake Tahoe was the perfect blend of friends, family, and solo time. A great start to a big summer.

Snow in the South

When I left newspaper and started working in research communications for UNC, one thing I definitely was not going to miss was weather feature hunting. As a university photographer at CNU, weather features are back. Jokes on me. I will say though, this one was fun.

Shenandoah National Park

First Few Months at CNU

NCAA Women’s Soccer Championship

Torggler Fine Arts Center

Petting Zoo on the Quad

Stroll to the Polls

Searching for Sheepshead

PhD student Lewis Naisbett-Jones and research technician Creed Branham have an office view most can only dream of. Cruising along the shore of Harkers Island, N.C., they head toward Cape Lookout — a barrier island accessible only by boat. On the way, they pass wild horses grazing and extravagant sailboats bobbing along on blue water.

While it may be an idyllic setting, their work is far from glamorous. The two are searching for acoustic tag receivers placed in the water last year. Once identified, they use a hooked pole to haul the receivers onboard and scrub them of biofouling — the grimy buildup of organisms like barnacles, algae, and bacteria. It’s not pretty, but it’s a monthly chore necessary to keep Naisbett-Jones’ research alive.

The pair are in their second year of tracking the migration of sheepshead — a small coastal fish easily identified by its gray-to-black and white banding and human-like teeth. During warm months, sheepshead can be found among inshore habitats like rock pilings, piers, and reefs. In the cooler months, around October or November, they migrate offshore to reproduce. But, when exactly they leave, where they go, and what habitats they prefer for spawning are largely unknown.

“I’m really interested in the mystery that revolves around fishes,” Naisbett-Jones says. “Fish are the most diverse vertebrate group on the planet and yet they’re probably the group we know the least about in terms of their movement and migration. I love the problem-solving aspect of trying to answer some of these questions.”

Acoustic tag data will tell Naisbett-Jones when and from what point the fish are leaving their inshore habitats. Satellite telemetry comes in next, providing information about where the sheepshead go to spawn offshore. The North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries is particularly interested in this data in order to effectively manage the species.

Back Home

This year was hard. A big part of that for me was not seeing family and Mark being deployed. This past July we were able to get together with immediate fams and hometown friends for the first time in a long while. On top of that, Mark and I spent two weeks together uninterrupted — the longest since July of 2020. It was one for the books.

Behind the Shark Survey Scenes

UNC researchers and crew members aboard the Institute of Marine Sciences’ (IMS) research vessel are relaxing. Sitting in the sun and gently swaying with the waves, two of them are discussing recent fishing regulations. In the wheelhouse, the captain and another crew member argue over the best chili recipes.

After an hour of soaking a shark line, it’s suddenly time to get to work. Two crew head to the back of the boat and start pulling up the one-kilometer line, dotted with 100 hooks. It doesn’t take long before they find what they’re looking for.

“Shark!” exclaims crew member, Stacy Davis. In one swift motion he unhooks the animal and hands it to UNC professor Joel Fodrie. The species and sex are identified and it is measured, tagged, and photographed. In less than a minute, it’s tossed back in the water. Years of experience on board have created this efficiency.

UNC Professor Frank Schwartz began surveying sharks in 1968. After exploring different methods and locations, the IMS shark survey officially started in 1972. It’s unsurpassed in the U.S. for its consistency and longevity.

“When it started, I don’t think the goal was to have something that’s now decades long. I don’t have the sense there was even a 3- or 5-year plan,” says Fodrie, now the primary research caretaker of the survey. “The times were different. The world hadn’t really woken up to the important role that sharks play in ecosystems.”

While there are still lots of unknowns when it comes to these animals, in the ’70s there was a fraction of today’s knowledge. Researchers initially concentrated on basic topics like identifying local species and figuring out their maximum size.

“The merit in these programs really show themselves retrospectively, once you get a couple decades in and can start looking back,” Fodrie says.

In reviewing decades of data, researchers have been able to identify important trends. One is that in the ‘70s and early ‘80s, there were a higher diversity of species. Those that declined or disappeared tended to be medium-to-large species. Around that time, both commercial and recreational shark fishing was abundant in North Carolina. Then, starting in ’90s, regulations became stricter. In the last decade, some of those species have made a return.

While regulating fishing has helped shark populations, Fodrie says its more complicated than that. For example, a recent study has shown that across all species, the average and maximum size has been declining. Even species on “no take” lists have seen a decline.

“Fishing is probably a big part of it because it’s not only the sharks that get fished but also things that the sharks eat. But it’s hard to lay all that on the feet of fishing,” he says. “We’re in a world with lots of forms of change. There’s temperature change, habitat change, changes in human activity, soundscape change. Those all contribute to what we see. It’s a complex system.”

While it may not take long for shark populations to be affected by these changes, it can take decades for them to recover. Fortunately, the IMS shark survey will be producing data for years to come, thanks to the expertise and dedication of IMS staff, students, and researchers.

Caterpillars in the Coal Mine

Katherine Malinski is a caterpillar detective. As she walks between rows of tobacco plants, she looks for clues of hornworm caterpillar activity. Tobacco is a host plant for hornworms — the moths lay their eggs on the leaves, which provide food for the caterpillars and serve as a refuge as they develop.

Seeing the remnants of a caterpillar feast, Malinski carefully turns over each leaf. Soon she finds what she is looking for: a tiny hornworm caterpillar. “Found another one!” she exclaims as she pulls a large petri dish from her waist pack, gently picks up the insect, and places it in its temporary home.

Malinski is a PhD student in Joel Kingsolver’s evolutionary biology lab. Kingsolver and his students study how insects and plants respond and adapt to conflicts in the natural environment. They focus on climate change, but also topics like invasive species and managed ecosystems. Much of their work is centered on butterflies and moths.

Currently, most of their research explores how increasing temperatures affect the relationship between a hornworm species (Manduca sexta), a parasitoid wasp (Cotesia congregata), and two hornworm host plants, tobacco and devil’s claw.

“All the work in our lab integrates field studies, laboratory experiments, and mathematical models to investigate insect responses to complex environments,” Kingsolver says. “Insects and temperature are great for that because we can do field studies to explore what we think are important factors and then bring them into the lab and mimic those conditions to better determine what those key factors are.”

Keeping Rip Currents in Check

A rip current is seen with the use of harmless green dye (photo by the Coastal Studies Institute).

As a UNC graduate student studying marine sciences, Greg Dusek decided on two requirements for his dissertation: That the research was related to coastal oceanography and that it would help the public.

Now a senior scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Dusek is working with colleagues to put the finishing touches on what has evolved into a rip current model for the Nearshore Wave Prediction System (NWPS). Both the model and NWPS provide predictions every hour for every kilometer along the U.S. coastline.

Normally, ocean waves push water up the shoreline and retreat in a fairly uniform fashion. A rip current can happen near breaks in sandbars or humanmade structures. Some waves can break differently, leading to differences in wave height and the formation of a fast current at a perpendicular or acute angle to the shoreline. The resulting rip current can drag away swimmers. Tens of thousands of rip current rescues and an average of 100 deaths occur annually in the U.S. from this phenomena.

Dusek sees a rip current prediction system as just one tool in the public’s beach safety toolbox.

“We recognize that you can have a great model at predicting a hazard but if it’s not reaching people in the right way it’s not going to make a difference,” he says. “One focus at NOAA is improving messaging so people know what to look for, understand the conditions that rips form under, and how to escape safely if they get caught in one.”

Previous models were updated once or twice a day with short prediction times, geographically confined, and defined by broad ratings of low, medium, or high probability.

“The initial system the weather service was using was better than nothing. It provided some information, but it was really limited in scope,” Dusek says.

Dusek’s model has blown older models completely out of the water —something he never expected when he began the project 15 years ago.

Other Side of the Podium

“Be weird about it!” exclaims Evan Feldman, a UNC professor of music. “I want it to be swoopy, like you have no skeleton.”

Josh Sheppard, a junior studying music education, mirrors Feldman’s conducting movements as his peers perform a classical piece. Feldman further exaggerates his sweeping gestures, incorporating loose steps and head bobs, making him look like the waving, inflatable tube man often seen outside car dealerships.

Besides entertaining his students, Feldman’s goofy approach serves a purpose.

“Conducting is a communicative art,” he says. “And there’s a vulnerability aspect that students have to get comfortable with. That’s tough for a lot of people. I know it was tough for me when I was starting out.”

Learning how to embrace this vulnerability is one focus of intermediate conducting, the second of a three-course sequence in the UNC Department of Music. While an obvious choice for those studying music education, the class is also applicable to a wide array of careers.

“Even if you have no intention of ever conducting, if you take the class you at least have some understanding of how the other side of the podium works,” Feldman says. “I see them develop an appreciation for that skillset.”

Linda Pluta prepares the Genexus Integrated Sequencer for genetic analysis of COVID-19 test samples.

Trays of tiny vials in hand, Linda Pluta stands in front of a shoulder-height machine, waiting for it to complete an ultraviolet light cleaning cycle. The timer beeps, and a plexiglass display case smoothly rises. She loads it with dozens of trays, presses a button, and the glass quickly descends. Soon the device comes to life, humming with enough force to make everything in the room buzz and vibrate.

The Genexus Integrated Sequencer may sound like something from a science-fiction movie, but it’s an everyday tool in the Dittmer Lab at UNC, where researchers are tracking variants of SARS-CoV-2.

Since fall, scientists have discovered variants from the United Kingdom, South Africa, and Brazil. Since then, all three have been reported in the United States, and two have been found in North Carolina. Additionally, new variants have emerged in dozens of states throughout the U.S.

The issue isn’t that the virus is suddenly mutating — it’s that genetic sequencing has lagged far behind its spread. In the U.S., less than 1 percent of cumulative cases have been sequenced.

“That kind of makes you ask the question How many did we miss in between?” says Fernando Rene Moreira, a Baric Lab postdoctoral researcher in the UNC Department of Epidemiology.

As a virus replicates, mistakes are made in copying its genetic sequence. One theory suggests this is due to the frequency of virus replication; another points to factors in an individual host that cause these mistakes. It’s a classic example of evolution — if those changes are beneficial to the virus, they are more likely to persist as replication continues. The more SARS-CoV-2 spreads, and therefore replicates, the likelihood of these mutations increases.

“The number of infected people is tremendous, so there’s much more virus replication than ever before,” says Dirk Dittmer, a UNC professor of microbiology and immunology. “Every person that’s infected is a little test tube that allows the virus to change.”

While the terms “mutation” and “variant” may sound intimidating, it’s what viruses do. What concerns Dittmer and his colleagues are the number occurring at once.

“Normally when we sequence viruses we find one or two mutations in the spike protein from the week before,” he says. “The U.K. one had nine new changes. That’s a huge jump and why everyone is worried.”

UNC researchers Melissa Miller and Ralph Baric have joined Dittmer in a collaboration that acts as a SARS-CoV-2 surveillance pipeline.

Cynthia Smudde, 20, poses for a portrait via Zoom in her apartment complex in Virginia. After having COVID-19 last March, Smudde has experienced severe symptoms of post-COVID syndrome. However, without a positive COVID-19 or antibodies test, she has been largely unsuccessful in receiving help from doctors.

Last March, life was good for Cynthia Smudde. Financially independent, the 19-year-old was a supervisor at Starbucks, working her way into their education program to help fund her college tuition. Her dream was to obtain a degree in computer science and work as a software developer for the U.S. Department of Defense.

Then COVID-19 spread throughout the United States.

Although young and healthy, Smudde was still worried about contracting the disease — not much was known about the virus, and her job involved interacting with the public.

“The media kept blasting us with all this scary news but I had to work and I had to lead people,” she says. “So I was trying to keep morale up and suppress any fears I had about it.”

At the time, there were no statewide stay-at-home orders or mask mandates where Smudde lives in Virginia. The first week of March, she fell ill. She experienced a fever and chills. She couldn’t keep her eyes open for more than 45 minutes at a time.

“I remember thinking, If this is COVID, no wonder it kills grandparents because this is the most sick I’ve ever felt in my life,” she says. “I literally felt it in my whole body. It took everything in me to fight it. I was so tired.”

Smudde contacted her doctor, but she was told it wasn’t COVID-19 because she didn’t have a cough. That also disqualified her from getting a SARS-CoV-2 test.

Within a week, her symptoms subsided and she returned to work. About two weeks later though, Smudde noticed her memory was shoddy and she was always tired. At the time, she didn’t think much of it, but soon her symptoms snowballed.

She continues to experience extreme fatigue, confusion, and memory loss — sometimes so bad she forgets where she is or learns something new and has no memory of it the next day. Her lungs sometimes feel like they are on fire or full of shards of broken glass. Initially, Smudde attributed this to mold in her apartment, so she moved. But breathing problems persisted, on and off. She was losing so much hair she needed to unclog her shower drain every few weeks. She’ll suddenly feel dizzy, as though she’s about to pass out. She’s lost her taste and smell for bouts of time. She’s experienced dry eyes and poor vision, body trembling, arthritis-like pain in her joints, skin rash, and waves of chills, heat, and nausea.

Smudde has symptoms of post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection, commonly called post-COVID syndrome or long COVID, in which patients endure continued effects of their infection. Like SARS-CoV-2, long COVID is also novel, and experts are still working to define it. Some consider patients to have the the syndrome if they continue to have symptoms four to six weeks after their initial infection resolves; others say 12 weeks. While most common in those who have been hospitalized with an acute illness, long COVID can occur even in people who have a mild case of the disease.

“The majority of COVID patients, I believe, have a full recovery without lasting effects,” says John M. Baratta, UNC assistant professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation. “But, there is a surprisingly large percentage of survivors who deal with ongoing issues.”

That’s why Baratta has helped start the UNC COVID Recovery Clinic — where patients can get help for their ongoing symptoms and doctors can gather valuable data.

READDI, not Reactive

When the World Health Organization declared SARS-CoV-2 a global pandemic in March of 2020, people were not only unprepared, but shocked. UNC researchers Ralph Baric, Mark Heise, and Nat Moorman were not among them.

Soon after the outbreak was considered a pandemic, collaborators Baric, Heise, and Moorman, met up to discuss the future.

The 21^st century has seen eight epidemics and pandemics from zoonotic viruses — pathogens that jump from non-human animals to humans — including SARS, MERS, Zika, Ebola, and of course, SARS-CoV-2. Even so, seeing the potential for an outbreak is very different from being prepared for one.

“Most everyone agreed that the basic science that had been done between 2003 and 2019 indicated that the zoonotic pool was filled with virus strains poised to cause human disease. It was just a matter of time,” says Baric, a professor of microbiology, immunology, and epidemiology.

In early 2020, this fear became a reality.

“We were kind of just lamenting the fact that here we were again: another pandemic and no drugs ready to go. Nothing approved,” says Moorman, an associate professor of microbiology and immunology. “We knew we were going to have to go through this the same way we’d gone through every other pandemic.”

This frustration was the impetus for them to reevaluate the typical approach, and the Rapidly Emerging Antiviral Drug Discovery Initiative (READDI) seeks to do that. This collaboration between scientists at the UNC School of Medicine, the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, and the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health was created to not only combat SARS-Cov-2, but also future viral outbreaks.

A Growing Divide

The debate between President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden on Sept. 29 was heated from the get go, but just under 18 minutes in things really got messy. Chris Wallace, the moderator for the night, asked Biden if he would react to Amy Coney Barrett’s Supreme Court nomination by ending the filibuster or packing the court. Biden avoided the question, instead saying the American people should vote and let their senators know how they feel.

“He doesn’t want to answer the question,” Trump says.

“I’m not going to answer the question,” Biden responds.

“Why wouldn’t you answer the question? You want to put a lot of new Supreme Court Justices. Radical left.”

“Would you just shut up, man?”

“Listen, who is on your list, Joe?”

What ensued was almost a minute of the candidates talking over each other while Wallace attempted to get control of the situation that was quickly devolving.

While highly unusual for presidential debates to reach this level of combativeness, two people on opposite political sides unable to talk — and listen — to one another is more common as polarization continues to increase. Whether it be opinions about political issues like immigration or healthcare, presidential or congressional approval ratings, or even COVID-19 precautions, it’s becoming rarer for people to see eye-to-eye. In fact, we can’t even agree on what the most pressing problems are in the first place.

To disagree is one thing, but increasingly, voters look at those across the political aisle with disdain. In a 2019 survey by the Pew Research Center, participants were asked to associate a list of positive and negative words — like closed-minded, open-minded, lazy, or hardworking — with their political counterparts. Among Democrats surveyed, the top responses were Republicans are more closed-minded, unpatriotic, and immoral than other Americans. Republicans saw Democrats as more closed-minded, immoral, and unintelligent than other Americans.

In the book Prius or Pickup? UNC political scientist Marc Hetherington and UNC global studies professor Jonathan Weiler, argue that worldviews — deeply ingrained beliefs about the nature of the world and the priorities of a good society — are fundamental to this political divide. The basic principle behind this is how individuals perceive danger.

In public opinion surveys collected during the 2016 presidential campaign, participants were asked to choose one of two statements:

Our lives are threatened by terrorists, criminals and illegal immigrants and our priority should be to protect ourselves.
It’s a big, beautiful world, mostly full of good people, and we must find a way to embrace each other and not allow ourselves to become isolated.

“Neither of these are right or wrong — they’re just different,” Hetherington says. “One side sees more threats, and if you see more threats then you have to protect yourself. The other side doesn’t see those threats in the same way so they perceive those actions as discrimination, not just protection.”

The results of the survey showed that nearly 80 percent of Donald Trump supporters chose the first statement, while nearly 80 percent of Hillary Clinton supporters chose the second. It’s important to note that the two statements didn’t ask participants about their political affiliation. This reveals how deeply ingrained worldviews are in our political identity and, therefore, why people have difficulty understanding how those on the other side see things.

SANFORD- Mary and Tom Douglas are on opposite sides of the political divide. While they disagree on many issues, they both think polarization among political leaders has increased over the years.

“There was not that much division years ago,” says Tom, who supports Joe Biden. “I think we’ve gotten to the point where the leaders we have got us into this train of thought that’s ‘You need to see it my way or the highway.'”

“Honestly, for the last several presidents that we’ve had in there, the Republicans and Democrats do not work together,” adds Mary, who says she will be voting for Donald Trump. “They’re just against each other. When Obama was there, the Republicans were totally against him and did not agree on anything. Now the Democrats are that way with Trump.”

CHAPEL HILL- While Remy Reya enjoys in-person political discussions, he avoids engaging in those topics online.

“It’s very hard to have really constructive dialogue on social media just because of the nature of the platform,” he says. “It tends to bring out the kind of emotional, reactive conversation. I think people are kind of operating in different spheres of reality based on the information or misinformation they’re consuming, so I think that’s a real problem.”

DURHAM- Lia Gilmore, a social worker, has noticed that political discussions have crept into her professional life.

“Normally, we would have more boundaries with our patients,” she says. “We wouldn’t talk about politics and get into that. But this is not politics— this is like good versus bad or dark versus light. And so, you end up crossing that boundary more and more because it’s so relevant to their everyday lives.”

MORRISVILLE- Victor Lindsey realizes that while he can have discussions with friends across the political aisle, many struggle with that task.

“It’s like sports, like a ‘my team versus your team’ kind of thing,” he says. “That’s why I think emotions are so tied to it. It’s just human nature— we’re tribal by default so we want to see our side win and bring in some kind of victory even if we’re not reaping any kind of reward other than ‘my guy won.'”

New Approaches to Cancer

Jen Jen Yeh is exploring new ways to treat cancer, and her work is crazy. She’s testing a drug-delivery device on inoperable pancreatic tumors. Lots of times with pancreatic cancer, the tumors wrap themselves around blood vessels. This makes it impossible to remove the tumor without killing the patient. The only treatment currently available is chemotherapy. I’ll never forget talking to a researcher about cancer and she explained that they can already kill any cancer cells/tumors with chemo, but the delicate balance is not killing the patient in the process cuz chemo is so toxic. So, this drug-delivery device uses an electric field to drive drugs directly into the tumor, shrinking it away from the vessels enough so that surgeons can go in and remove it. Her other work focuses on RNA. Her lab discovered genetic markers for subtypes of pancreatic cancer that don’t respond to traditional treatment. She thinks that if they can identify patients that fall under this group, oncologists can better match them with different types of treatment.

Doing COVID-19 Dirty Work

UNC research technician Tom Clerkin and graduate student Mark Ciesielski turn off a gravel road and into the Beaufort Wastewater Treatment Plant. They jump out of their truck, greeted by the scorching sun and an aroma that is so unique to these types of facilities. Grabbing armloads of equipment, they climb atop the wastewater intake platform, where incoming sewage is cleared of large debris. They don full protective gear including face masks, gloves, and face shields, and collect their weekly samples. The work is far from glamorous, but serves an important purpose.

The team, led by UNC Institute of Marine Sciences microbiologist Rachel Noble, is quantifying COVID-19 concentrations in communities throughout North Carolina. While testing an individual is useful for the person who receives it, the people they come into contact with, and official coronavirus case counts, it doesn’t provide information about the number of asymptomatic people not tested — which experts believe is significant.

Noble expects their data will help account for asymptomatic carriers, identify hot spots, and inform public health measures like school policies and face mask mandates. As of August, preliminary results have shown an increase of the virus in wastewater about five to seven days before spikes in clinical cases — leading researchers to think results could serve as a sentinel for community spread.

The key, Noble says, is to focus on the concentration of the virus throughout the population.

“We’re not just looking for the positive or negative result of the virus in the wastewater samples,” she says. “What we’re looking for are the trends of whether the numbers are increasing or decreasing, and we’re particularly looking for the time whenever the signal disappears.”

Addressing Pandemic Problems

Jessica Lin | Infectious Diseases
Lin leads a study exploring how COVID-19 spreads within households after members are infected. “Of course I think about my and my family’s health, but this is my job. I think most people recognize that this is an unprecedented pandemic, and we all have to work together to do what we can. As a health care worker, I feel that sense of duty and am grateful to have an opportunity to contribute.”

Last spring, while businesses shut down and millions began working from home amidst the widespread outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 in the U.S., UNC researchers immediately shifted their focus to the virus and subsequent disease, COVID-19. Their quick response and strong foundation in infectious diseases, social science, and community-centered research propelled UNC to become a global leader of coronavirus expertise.

In nearly every school and department across UNC, researchers are examining the myriad of issues raised by the coronavirus pandemic. They are at the forefront of developing tests and therapeutics, monitoring the genetic evolution of the virus, and exploring future health impacts faced by COVID-19-positive patients. They are increasing access to resources for vulnerable communities, advising policymakers on public health measures, and uncovering the economic shockwaves that will continue for years to come.

As the United States — and the globe — combat the challenges this virus continues to present, UNC experts remain committed to research for the public good.

**Lori Carter-Edwards | Public Health Leadership, Epidemiology, Health Behavior**
Carter-Edwards has been working with rural, Black, faith-based communities to create and disseminate messaging about the virus and available resources.“Right now, we have to immediately respond to a community’s needs. As researchers and public health professionals, we have a responsibility to get information out to people. We believe what we find here is going to be impactful and that we’ll be able to share it with a lot of folks.”

**Barbara Turpin | Environmental Sciences and Engineering**
Turpin is leading a study focused on how SARS-CoV-2 travels through aerosols — microscopic particles emitted when breathing, speaking, or singing — and how different factors like ventilation, sunlight, or even ozone can affect the virus’ viability through aerosol transmission.“I have no interest in getting anywhere near this virus, but we have this really novel air sampler that we can use for COVID work. I feel an obligation to do it because there’s something unique we could bring to the conversation.

*Nurse practitioner Faith Claman and researcher Carla Cerami draw blood from a COVID-19-positive patient while conducting a study on how the virus spreads to members of a household.*

**Ralph Baric | Epidemiology, Microbiology and Immunology, Cancer**
Baric is a world-renowned coronavirus expert, leading and collaborating on multiple projects related to SARS-CoV-2 — from preclinical testing of antiviral drugs and therapeutics to understanding the basic science behind the virus’ replication. “In terms of rapid response and saving people’s lives, I think we’ve had a major impact globally. We’ve been able to help provide some weapons in the physicians’ tool chest to patients in need of therapy. With the number of projects we have — both past and present — our research enterprise is quite extraordinary in terms of breadth and impact.”

**Sarav Arunachalam | Environmental Sciences and Engineering**
Arunachalam is quantifying how reduced vehicular air emissions due to stay-at-home orders have affected air quality and public health. “At the end of the day, I think there’s a lot more to be done. There’s so much information coming out. I think we are in a phase of sensory overload of information, and it will take some careful thinking to understand how to separate the signal from the noise.”

**Phillip Clapp | Environmental Medicine, Asthma, and Lung Biology**
Clapp and his colleagues are measuring the efficacy of different masks in filtering air particles to inform hospitals about the effectiveness of sterilized, reused, and expired respirators. “The opportunity to step forward and work with a group of brilliant minds to address an immediate public health need — that was a blessing in the middle of this pandemic.”

The team at the Mucociliary Clearance and Aerosol Research Laboratory in the UNC Center for Environment, Asthma, and Lung Biology measures the effectiveness of different masks in filtering air particles. The test filtration while a subject wears a mask and moves around — standing, bending, talking, or turning their head — while in a pressurized air chamber filled with salt particles.

**Kia Caldwell | African, African American, and Diaspora Studies**
In collaboration with Brazilian colleagues, Caldwell wrote an article for *The Conversation* and a longer paper for a Brazilian journal examining the impact of COVID-19 in Black communities in the U.S. and Brazil, focusing on the long history of racism and health disparities in both countries. “There’s urgency because people are dying in such high numbers right now. There’s not a vaccine. COVID-19 is something that affects all of us. I think there is a sense for folks in research that we all need to be paying attention to this. And if we have any skills we can lend to the fight, we need to bring them and share them.”

**Marc Hetherington | Political Science**
Hetherington and colleagues are working with peers from other UNC System schools to survey opinions about public health measures — like face masks and vaccines — and working with community partners on COVID-19 public service announcements. “On our current team we have public health people, sociologists, political scientists, and social workers. I’ve never been part of a collaboration that’s anything like this. It feels great to try to take advantage of bringing together all these types of people with different expertise under the same umbrella.”

Graduate students Mark Ciesielski and lab technician Tom Clerkin prepare wastewater samples for analysis in the Rachel Noble lab at the UNC Institute of Marine Sciences. The lab is studying community spread of SARS-CoV-2 by analyzing wastewater across the state. Preliminary results show by doing so they can identify COVID-19 hot spots five to seven days before it is reflected in clinical testing results.

**Cassandra R. Davis |Public Policy**
Davis is identifying challenges faced by first-generation college students to address their unique needs and shape school policy by conducting surveys among first-generation students at universities across the country. “What keeps me going, what keeps me returning to my computer at 2 a.m. is the fact that this information will help. I think of my first-generation students. If it’s going to make some bit of a difference to ensure that these students are supported, then that’s what I need to do.”

**Paul Delamater | Geography**
Delamater has created a website providing up-to-date estimates and future forecasts of SARS-CoV-2 infections and COVID-19-related hospitalizations in the state, including an interactive map that breaks down recent infection rates by zip code. “I study health care, vaccination, and disease risk from a geographic perspective. All of those things are important for understanding what’s happening in the U.S. and North Carolina for COVID-19. And so, while the pandemic has been this awful situation, I’m in a unique position where I can use all my skills to try to help understand it.”

Click here for more stories about UNC researchers fighting SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19

Algal Blooms Pose Possible Respiratory Threat

Haley Plaas hits the road before sunrise to get an early start on the drive from Morehead City to Edenton, North Carolina. After two hours of farmland views along country backroads, she finally arrives at her destination — a small residential neighborhood on the banks of the Chowan River. Balancing plastic tubs filled with research equipment, she hauls her gear through a backyard. At the edge of the grass, Plaas gets her first view of the water, streaked with the tell-tale bright green hue of a cyanobacterial bloom

“Nice!” she exclaims. “I know it’s weird to say but this gets me so excited. This is perfect.”

Plaas, a PhD student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Institute for Marine Sciences (IMS), studies the potential respiratory threat caused by harmful algal blooms.

Commonly called blue-green algae — although formed by cyanobacteria rather than algae — these are freshwater blooms that emit toxins. While a green scum on the water’s surface is the most obvious indication, even seemingly clear water can be infected. Quite common in the South where temperatures are warm most of the year, they are found worldwide.

They are also becoming more frequent and severe due to humans. Nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus from fertilizer, untreated sewage, stormwater runoff, and even air pollution can cause the blooms to grow out of control. In addition, they favor warm water temperatures caused by climate change, as well as increased rainfall bringing more runoff nutrients into waterways from sources like farms and lawns.

“People equals nutrients,” says Hans Paerl, a professor of marine and environmental sciences at IMS. “The more people you pack into a watershed, the more nutrients end up getting generated and discharged.”

Out-of-control growth can be detrimental to aquatic ecosystems in a number of ways. Because they form on the water’s surface, cyanobacteria outcompete desirable aquatic plants by shading them, thereby cutting off the plants’ ability to grow through photosynthesis. Another issue is bioaccumulation — when toxins are magnified in their intensity as they move up the food chain. Additionally, when the blooms die their decomposition can greatly reduce the concentration of dissolved oxygen in the water and kill fish, shellfish, and other aquatic life.

They also pose a danger to human and animal health by producing neurotoxins and liver toxins. Last year, multiple dogs died after swimming, and some evidence points to their deaths being caused by acute liver failure after exposure to a harmful bloom. Exposure over long periods of time can also promote tumor growth and cancer.

While many studies examine intoxication through ingestion or skin contact, Plaas’ work looks at a different angle: aerosol.

Forging a Legacy

While drafting the Bill of Rights in 1791, James Madison knew the founders needed to protect citizens from government overreach so frequently seen under British rule. Time and time again, the British government attempted to control colonial dissent by censoring critical commentary. Publishing such information was considered treason and violators were subject to swift and fierce punishment.

Freedom of the press, called “one of the great bulwarks of liberty” by the Founding Fathers, was included in the First Amendment of the Constitution in order to prevent such actions in the newly formed democracy.

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

In the case of freedom of the press, this guarantees that citizens can print and circulate news without fear of government reprisal. This right is so foundational to the United States’ Constitution, that many take it for granted. A vast number of people around the world, though, are not afforded this luxury — they receive news from state-controlled media, have restrictions on internet access, and face violence, imprisonment, or harassment for the dissemination of critical information.

Almost 230 years after the adoption of the First Amendment, it is still a point of pride for U.S. journalists — and central to the UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media.

“The faculty, students, and staff, they constitute the heart of the school,” says former dean, Richard Cole. “But the soul of the school you could encapsulate in three words: The First Amendment.”

Using this as a bedrock, the school trains the next generation of journalists and media professionals to accurately and ethically inform the public through innovative storytelling.

“There’s one recurring theme throughout the history of journalism at Carolina,” says Tom Bowers, author of “Making News: One Hundred Years of Journalism and Mass Communications at Carolina” and professor emeritus at the school. “That’s being responsive to the needs of the students, the university, the state, and society at large.”

Moments of Clarity

A semicircle of stereo speakers surrounds George Schneider, who sits with his hands folded in his lap in the middle of a small, soundproof room.

A woman’s voice emits from one of the speakers: “I just need a little air.” Schneider repeats the phrase. “Take a wild guess.” Schneider repeats that phrase too.

Gradually, more voices join in from the various speakers, talking over the woman. “The engagement was not official.” Schneider, in his 60s, squints his eyes as he tries to concentrate. “Something artificial?” He’s less sure. By now, the room sounds like a crowded party layered with dozens of voices.

Schneider, who has a hearing aid in one ear and a cochlear implant in the other, is participating in a UNC clinical trial exploring indications for cochlear implants. Unlike hearing aids, which amplify sound, an implant helps restore speech perception. A patient needing one may be able to hear one-on-one conversations, but struggle to follow conversation among background noise.

“I don’t think that most people who have good hearing recognize what impact not having it has,” says Kevin Brown, medical director of the Children’s Cochlear Implant Center at UNC. “It becomes very isolating and really affects quality of life.”

Previously, cochlear implants were predominately used for people with poor hearing in both ears, as outlined by the Food and Drug Administration and many insurance companies. If a patient had a lesser degree of hearing loss or single-sided deafness, there weren’t many options.

“Patients were told if they had one normal hearing ear that was good enough,” says Margaret Dillon, director of the UNC cochlear implant clinical research program. “Now we know that hearing in one ear is not good enough. There are options that can restore that hearing.”

Evidence points out a correlation between hearing loss and increased social isolation, depression, and fatigue, Brown notes. Most recently, it has also been associated with accelerated cognitive decline, like dementia. Among children, hearing issues can lead to difficulty in learning and behavior problems.

Researchers at the UNC Adult Cochlear Implant Program and the Children’s Cochlear Implant Center explore these expanded indications. Around 70 patients have participated in a total of six clinical trials thus far, completing a variety of auditory tests every few months for one year after implant activation. Among participants, researchers have seen significant improvements in speech perception, ability to localize sound, and better quality of life reports.

Editing Along Ethical Boundaries

When Yoshizumi Ishino and his colleagues from Osaka University discovered an odd DNA sequence of E. coli in 1987, they had no idea what they had stumbled upon. The sequences were palindromic — reading the same forward and backward — but the scientists didn’t understand their function. They made note of the oddity in their completed study.

Fast forward a few years later, and researchers find that the sequence allows bacteria to prevent viral infections. When the bacterium detects the presence of virus DNA, it produces an RNA that matches that of the virus. When this sequence finds its target within the virus, the target DNA is cut and the virus is disabled. By harnessing this natural technique, researchers realized they could precisely cut any type of DNA and conduct specific genome editing. This would have a direct impact on genetic disease therapies, effectively providing a tool kit to fix mutated genes.

“It’s a huge argument that basic, fundamental science needs to be funded. This was a study to see how bacteria deal with viruses, with no thought that it would have any human-health implications,” says Terry Magnuson, geneticist and UNC Vice Chancellor for Research. “It turned out to be probably one of the most revolutionary findings that has ever happened.”

Commercially available since 2012, CRISPR-Cas9 (CRISPR) edits genes by cutting DNA and letting natural processes repair those divides. This allows scientists to add, remove, or alter particular parts of an organism’s genome. Think of it as a geneticist’s “copy and paste” tool. More precise and inexpensive than previous genome engineering, the attributes that make it widespread in the scientific community also expedite the need for ethical consensus among users.

“What happens when the preventive interventions you imagine raise the same kinds of ethical questions that enhancements do?” asks Eric Juengst, director of the UNC Center for Bioethics. “Questions about equal access, effects on the downstream generations, and effects on what it means to be human.”

Juengst explores these and other ethical quandaries as they relate to this gene-editing tool. His work focuses on research ethics — questions raised by new advances in science and technology.

Fortunately, this isn’t completely new territory for bioethicists, researchers, and policymakers. Genome engineering has been around for decades. Methods like homologous recombination, developed by Nobel laureate and UNC’s own Oliver Smithies, have prompted ethical discussions time and time again.

Most agree upon the implications behind this technology and the need to proceed with caution. If used responsibly, though, CRISPR can forever alter the way scientists study genes.

“CRISPR’s ability to change the way research is done is comparable to the electron microscope — everybody depends on it now for all kinds of research,” Juengst says. “That’s the sort of impact that this technique could have on basic [science] research.”

UNC Researchers Develop PFAS Resin

PFAS, or per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are byproducts in the production of everyday items like Teflon, food packaging, and stain-resistant fabrics. Over the course of decades, these chemicals have made their way into drinking water sources around the world. UNC-Chapel Hill environmental engineer Orlando Coronell and chemist Frank Leibfarth have developed a filtration resin that has thus far been successful in removing most PFAS from water.

Flocking to the Coast

After driving 170 miles, a caravan of UNC undergraduate students enters the Pocosin Wildlife Refuge. Passing just beyond the edge of the reserve, they spot what they’ve traveled hours for — tens of thousands of tundra swans and snow geese.

The students jump out of the cars, eyes on the sky and their mouths agape, and are greeted by the thunderous chorus of up to 50,000 birds. Skyward, they can see a seemingly endless stream of swans and geese flocking towards the field in front of them.

UNC biologist Allen Hurlbert stands in front of his class. Suddenly, a few thousand birds swoop into the air, the flock twisting and turning. Like a conductor leading a great symphony, Hurlbert throws up his arms and revels in the sight.

The stop at the refuge is just one of many throughout the weekend. The students are part of an avian biology class, led by Hurlbert and fellow UNC biologist Keith Sockman. Through lectures, students learn about bird biology, physiology, anatomy, and evolution. This teaching is then reinforced by bird watching trips to places like Mason Farm Biological Reserve, Morehead City, Beaufort, and the Outer Banks. Getting students in the field is a priority within the course, allowing them to see their lectures in action.

“Biology is the study of life, that’s the definition,” Sockman says. “To study life, to some extent you have to expose yourself to the natural elements to really understand it and appreciate it. Just reading about it or seeing pictures can never replace that aspect of the education.”

Coronavirus Drug Shows Promise at UNC

UNC researchers are doing their part in the fight against the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. Ralph Baric, an epidemiologist in the Gillings School of Global Public health, heads a lab testing a broad spectrum antiviral drug called remdesivir.

As of now, there is no FDA approved drug on the market to prevent any human coronavirus or treat associated diseases like COVID-19. “So, basically we have no weapons in our arsenal,” says Tim Sheahan, a virologist in Baric’s lab.

Six years ago, the lab partnered with the biopharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences, Inc. Their goal was testing the company’s antiviral drugs to curb emerging viral diseases often overlooked by big pharmaceutical companies, says Sheahan.

Coronaviruses were of particular interest. Fast forward to today, and the intravenous drug remdesivir could potentially be a relief to this global pandemic. Just like broad spectrum antibiotics — which can cure a wide range of bacterial infections — a broad spectrum antiviral like remdesivir can work against genetically distinct viruses.

In animal and cell models of SAR and MERS coronavirus diseases, researchers have prevented infection and also diminished associated diseases during an ongoing infection. Sheahan says the drug has worked against every coronavirus they’ve tested so far, including the one that causes COVID-19.

The Frog Family

As the school year draws to a close, thousands of families across the country flood airports and highways — off to visit relatives, theme parks, and waterways in celebration of the start of summer.

David and Karin Pfennig and their two daughters, Elsa and Katrina, spend three days crossing the country by car in search of more than a little R&R. They’re in pursuit of a unique amphibian.

The Pfennigs study evolution. More specifically, the UNC biologists research how spadefoot toads’ environment and behavior influence how the species evolves.

While other families may be soaking up the sun somewhere on a crowded beach or exploring cheesy tourist traps, the Pfennigs are ankle-deep in a muddy pond — shoes kicked off and tiny nets in hand —just the way they like it.

“It’s really fun,” Karin says. “The girls help with the research and really enjoy it, they come up with their own projects or go out and do their own natural history observations.”

While their younger daughter, Elsa, wants a career incorporating her passion for music, Katrina hopes to continue down the road her parents set forth in spadefoot research.

“I feel like we’re the luckiest people on the planet to get to work on this and have it be a family thing.”

Through a Different Lens

Laura Jones sits along the sprawling windows in the Hanes Art Center print studio, headphones plugged in and paintbrush in hand. In front of her lies an eight-foot piece of fabric, covered edge to edge with screen prints of a variety of plants. Jones carefully fills in each intricate part with homemade dyes made from organic matter like acorns and tea leaves.

The biology undergrad with a studio art minor is working on her final project for the course “Art and Science: Merging Printmaking and Biology” led by art professor Beth Grabowski and biology professor Bob Goldstein. Made up of seven students with biology prerequisites and seven with art prerequisites, the course explores how these two disciplines can influence one another.

Throughout the semester, students used science — like visually interpreting microscope slides and creating images from motion software — as inspiration for screen-printed projects.

“One of the lingering questions for us is: What does it mean to think like an artist and think like a scientist?” Grabowski says.

The students, she explains, often find that similarities outweigh the differences.

Taking Research to New Heights

“Alright, who’s up?” asks drone instructor Jimmy Burch

The group of UNC faculty are quiet. Some divert their eyes, shifting their posture — avoidance behavior they have surely all seen before in their own classrooms.

“I’ll do it,” says Jennifer Larson. The UNC English professor steps forward.

Burch gives a quick tutorial on controls — the left joystick is up and down, turn left and right. The right joystick controls forward and back, tilt left and right. Most importantly, if a problem occurs they can let go of the controls and the drone will hover in one spot.

The drone’s propellers kick on and the small aircraft pops up into the air. At first, Larson is cautious, slowly flying the drone above traffic cones set up in the grassy field. Within minutes though, a wide grin spreads across her face as she gains confidence executing the maneuvers Burch calls out.

Larson is one of eight participants in the first drone workshop hosted by UNC — the product of a collaboration between teaching associate professor Geoffrey Bell and Susan Cohen, associate director of the Institute for the Environment.

The course explores drone safety, flying techniques, and use in research. By the end of the week, students are ready for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) drone-license exam and, after certification, a fleet of drones will be available at UNC for participants to check out and use in their future research projects.

The participants — six faculty, one graduate student, and one undergrad — come from a range of disciplines like marine sciences, geography, international education, and anthropology. Bell guarantees everyone involved will discover how to incorporate drones into their work.

“I think most people think of drones’ capabilities mainly for the delivery of packages or military uses,” he says, “but there’s a really, really exciting field of how drones are being used for scientific purposes.”

The Timber Chronicles

On a shelf in Erika Wise’s office sits a foot-long specimen, only about half a centimeter in width. Marked by alternating shades of rich amber and sepia, this unassuming sample is a tree core and contains about 300 years-worth of data.

Wise studies climate trends from the past millennium through tree-ring science, known as dendrochronology. Paleoclimatologists like Wise use clues in the environment like tree rings, ice cores, and lake sediments to access information about historical trends.

“I think most paleoclimatologists are actually quite interested in future climate change,” she says. “When you want to look at the future we rely on models, and the models can only be calibrated using previous data.”

Over the course of the next century, worldwide temperatures are expected to rise between 2.5 and 10 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. These projections are calibrated with historical data gathered by a variety of scientists, including paleoclimatologists.

By focusing on the past, Wise and her peers hope to gain insight on what’s to come.

Creating their World

“Loud noise!” Kenly Cox warns as she fires up a table saw. Unfazed, her colleague, Kira Lyon marks a slab of wood, careful to be exact.

“We’ve got 45 minutes,” notes Lyon and both speed up their tasks.

The two are properties artisans for PlayMakers Repertory Theatre, building military-style trunks for the upcoming show, Native Son. Although the show is still weeks away, they must complete two prototypes for the day’s production meeting.

Now, you might be thinking a trunk is a trunk, right? Wrong.

“You’re trying to accurately represent a time and a place in history that can also add to the understanding of the show, understanding of what these characters are going through,” says Andrea Bullock, PlayMakers’ properties master.

Everything on stage — costumes, set design, even the cast iron pan a character uses to kill a rat — is thought out.

Back in Florence

It’s been a year and a half since I left Florence, so when I got an assignment for The Wall Street Journal to photograph a RedWolves game and the owner I was stoked. It was great to see familiar faces. Florence wasn’t the most exciting place to live at times, but since moving away I’ve realized being deeply rooted in a community shouldn’t be taken for granted.

South Carolina Voters

A few weeks ago I made my way back to South Carolina to talk to voters, specifically African American voters, about the upcoming presidential primaries for The Wall Street Journal. Seeing as South Carolina is the first in the South to hold primaries, and 60 percent of the state’s registered Democrats are black, presidential candidates pay particular attention to voters there.

It seemed though that the candidates’ efforts haven’t really been paying off — most people we talked to weren’t really following the election thus far and had a dim view on politics in general, citing the large number of candidates running and political burnout as their reasoning.

Rev. Demett Jenkins, below, was one of the skeptics. She’s paying attention to what candidates have to say about affordable housing, immigration, and healthcare, but says its hard to weed through all the talk and figure out the candidates’ plan of action.

“I don’t want the dream speeches, the big concept ideas,” she says. “I want to hear what is the plan.”

A Solution for Seagrass

When it comes to conservation, one may think that continuous habitat equals a more diverse and abundant species population. With seagrass though, this rule doesn’t hold. A team of UNC marine scientists are researching what type of seagrass beds — continuous or fragmented — marine species prefer in order to best restore these important aquatic environments.

Tuned into Neuroscience

All is quiet as the classical quartet, Vida Strings, waits to perform. Seated in a semi-circle, the group takes in a deep, collective breath before plunging into music, their rich sound reverberating off the wood floor and high ceiling of the music hall.

With eyes closed this may seem like a normal concert, but this performance is anything but typical — netting connecting hundreds of nodes covers the musicians’ heads and faces. As they play, the nodes gather data on their brains’ electrical activity patterns.

“The fascinating thing about the brain is it is actually an electrical system,” says Flavio Frohlich, director of the Carolina Center for Neurostimulation. “The way in which individual cells function is by talking with each other through very tiny, weak, electrical impulses.”

If people experience psychiatric symptoms, Frohlich says, there is a miscommunication between electrical signals in different areas of their brain. Frohlich works to understand where this signal falters and uses a targeted approach to restore and renormalize these lines of communication.