Ponds, Pines, and Pocosins – A Deep Dive into 5+ NC Ecological Communities and the Wildlife Within Them

North Carolina has many types of ecological communities, which produce subsequently varied ecosystems, perhaps too many to list here. They vary across region (mountains, piedmont, and coastal plain) . These regions can be seen as looking at the landscape through a macro, wide-angle lens, while focusing on individual ecosystems is like looking through a micro or zoom lens. The ecosystems that exist within those larger regions of the state include salt marsh, estuary, pine savanna, cypress swamp, deciduous forest, riparian zone, mountain cove forest, grass bald, wetland, among others.

Specific plant and wildlife species may be found in only one particular community or they may appear in more than one, so it can sometimes be difficult to determine where one community and its resulting ecosystem ends and another begins. In fact, as noted by David Blevins and Michael Schafale in Wild North Carolina, some ecosystems may not be recognizable at all: “Even many forested places that appear unused at first glance do not resemble what nature would put there on its own… This is true of most places that once were plowed and of many forests that were clear-cut in the last few decades. Thus, one of the first questions to ask, and sometimes one of the hardest to answer, is whether a place is a natural community at all.” 

While the collection of species within a certain area is referred to as an ecological community, the combination of these communities, the abiotic (or “non-living”) environment and conditions, and the ways in which these entities interact create dynamic and interwoven ecosystems. Ecosystems and the communities within them vary from place to place within the state, contributing to North Carolina’s varying natural landscapes and the wildlife inhabiting them. For more insight into what separates ecological communities from ecosystems check out “What is an ecosystem, anyway?” : How wildlife fits into ecological communities and drives ecosystem function.

In this blog post, we will take a closer look at just a few communities and ecosystems found in North Carolina, their members, and how NCWF is working to address the threats they face. 

Mountain River and Stream Ecological Communities and Ecosystems

Western North Carolina predominantly features mountainous terrain, with a distinct boundary dividing the mountain and piedmont regions along the eastern edge of Alleghany, Wilkes, Caldwell, Burke, and Rutherford counties. This diverse landscape includes varying altitudes, geological formations, soil types, hydrological features, and fluctuating climatic conditions across different elevations, all of which contribute to community and ecosystem types unique to the region. 

One notable ecosystem within this region is the mountain stream and river ecosystem of North Carolina. These waterways, ranging from larger rivers to small unmapped streams funnel water from higher elevations into lower elevation floodplains and mountain lakes. They serve essential functions such as water supply for surrounding cities and to other mountain ecosystems, provide recreational opportunities, and – most pertinently – wildlife habitat. 

Mountain terrains can vary dramatically in fairly localized areas due to fluctuations in elevation and altitude, rainfall variations, wind, and grade. As a result, communities and ecosystems vary sharply across mountain ranges.

Due to factors like natural spring sources, shade, and climatic influences, the water in these rivers and streams remains significantly colder compared to those in the piedmont and coastal plain regions. Aquatic and terrestrial species alike rely on these cool-water ecosystems for food, water, and habitat.

The rocky bottoms of mountain streams provide important habitat for the larval and pupal stages of insects and invertebrates. Species like caddisflies, mayflies, stoneflies, and other insects deposit eggs in these streams, where they lodge between rocks and debris, hatch into larvae, and develop protective casings as pupae. Native crayfish, salamanders, and fish species prey on these insects at all stages of their development, catching them as they drift downstream or hunting for them beneath rocks.

The stable climate and diverse habitats offered by the Appalachian mountain range have facilitated the evolution of unique salamander species found exclusively in these mountainous regions. Species such as the hellbender, the largest salamander in the state and one of the largest globally, thrive in these pristine mountain stream ecosystems, feeding primarily on crayfish and other invertebrates. Several species of endemic freshwater mussels also live in localized areas within NC mountain streams, including the state and federally endangered Appalachian elktoe. The species is endemic to the upper Tennessee River system, and has been extirpated from much of its historic range by habitat degradation and decreased water quality due to general pollution and development near streams.

Trout, including the brook trout (the only native trout and technically in the char family) along with rainbow and brown trout, are well adapted to the high velocities and cold temperatures of mountain streams. In fact, they can’t survive without it. These fish species require highly oxygenated water generated by these fast moving streams and they feed on a variety of aquatic insects, larvae, and smaller fish. Mountain streams support numerous other fish species like chubs, sunfish, bass, and sculpins, which provide a vital food source for predators such as black bears, blue herons, eagles, and kingfishers..

Despite their ecological and recreational value, mountain stream ecosystems face significant threats from streamside development, temperature fluctuations, agricultural runoff, and damming. Protecting and restoring these habitats is crucial for maintaining the biodiversity and ecological health of western North Carolina’s natural landscapes.

• Trout Buffer Work

NCWF is advocating for the passage of Senate Bill S613, the most basic of conservation measures aimed at safeguarding trout streams from pollution and sediment runoff, which is currently stalled in the NC House of Representatives.

The legislation ensures a nominal buffer zone of 25 feet for new agriculture activities along the banks of DEQ designated trout waters. The change would institute streamside buffers for new agricultural activities. The NC Sedimentation Control Act regulates streamside forestry operations subject to best management practices. Development along streams is also subject to the act’s requirements. READ MORE

• Ela Dam Removal Project

On October 3, 2021, sediment released from Ela Dam on the Oconaluftee River in western North Carolina covered downstream streambeds, prompting calls to remove the nearly 100-year-old dam. Situated just upstream of its confluence with the Tuckasegee River, Ela Dam is the sole obstruction preventing the Oconaluftee River from flowing freely. Led by Joey Owle of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, a coalition including Northbrook Carolina Hydro II, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, American Rivers, Mainspring Conservation Trust, North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the North Carolina Wildlife Federation – working in close partnership with National Wildlife Federation – aims to reconnect 549 miles of streams by removing the dam. This initiative represents a unique opportunity to restore habitat for species like the threatened sicklefin redhorse, culturally significant to the Cherokee, and to enhance river-based recreation opportunities. READ MORE

• Snorkel Trail

The Blue Ridge Snorkel Trail offers a unique experience to strap on snorkel gear, hit the water, and experience the diverse underwater species that North Carolina rivers have to offer.

The Blue Ridge Snorkel Trail is a collection of curated snorkel sites throughout North Carolina’s mountain rivers and provides a fun, educational outdoor adventure for wildlife enthusiasts of all ages. The best part – the Blue Ridge Snorkel Trail is free! All that is required is a snorkel and pair of goggles and – in the case of Little Tennessee River – you do not even have to bring snorkeling gear! READ MORE

Wetland Ecological Communities and Ecosystems

Wetland ecosystems, integral to the state’s natural landscape, are widespread and manifest in various forms such as swamps, bogs, freshwater, and salt marshes – among many others.

Some wetlands are shaped by natural factors like rainfall, geological processes, proximity to large bodies of water, and natural springs. Others, however, owe their existence to a species often called “nature’s engineers”.

Beavers construct dams using woody vegetation, which obstruct waterways and lead to local flooding. While many of these dams are temporary and eventually washed away by streams, some endure, forming ponds known as “beaver ponds,” and other wetland types. Despite fluctuations in historical attitudes towards beavers, their dam-building activities create crucial habitats for diverse species. According to Dan Flores, since the Pliocene epoch to the present, “beaver dams converted into ponds had made much of America an aqueous paradise, a vast world of water storage and enhanced humidity” (Flores, 168). These conditions fostered the growth of native plant species. Indigenous groups such as the Blackfeet recognized the ecological significance of beavers and abstained from their hunting (Flores, 27). The drastic decline in beaver populations has had far-reaching effects, “altering drainage systems across the continent, disrupting growth patterns of willows and cottonwoods, and destroying wetlands vital to waterfowl, raccoons, and moose, effectively drying out America” (Flores, 209).

Wetlands, whether naturally formed or influenced by beavers, exhibit a rich diversity of plant species. Examples include venus fly traps thriving in wet longleaf pine savannas and cypress trees thriving in coastal blackwater rivers and swamps. This wide array of wetland plant life serves as both food and habitat for numerous wildlife species.

Anyone familiar with wetland ecosystems knows how mosquitoes proliferate here. But they are not the only insects to do so. These ecosystems serve as breeding grounds for a variety of insects, which deposit eggs in the damp soils and stagnant waters of wetlands while feeding on algae and plant matter. Some wetland plants, such as carnivorous venus flytraps and pitcher plants, even consume these insects.

Additionally, wetlands provide ideal habitats for crayfish, with the state hosting 35-40 species of these invertebrates. They navigate the muddy bottoms, consuming a varied diet of small invertebrates, worms, carrion, and plant material beneath the surface. The burrows they dig in the soft bottoms and banks of these wetlands are also used by other small aquatic species like frogs and salamanders.

These amphibian species flourish in wetland environments rich in invertebrates, and where they themselves are a popular prey species. However, the habitat types where they are safest are in temporary habitats like vernal pools that lack fish predators that cannot survive in these temporary wetland ecosystems.

A diversity of water-dependent reptiles are common in wetlands throughout the state, though some species are only present in wetland within certain regions. Red bellied water snakes and American alligators are features of the state’s eastern wetlands while common snapping turtles and painted turtles are present in wetlands throughout the state. Fish species like sunfish, catfish, and gar found in wetlands serve as vital food sources for these reptiles and for large birds like ospreys and herons, which prefer to nest high up in the canopy of cypress trees and other dominant wetland trees.

Other bird species, such as wood ducks, also rely on wetland habitats. Wood ducks nest in tree cavities within wetlands, using vacated woodpecker holes or trees that have decayed enough to form natural cavities. Carolina parakeets and ivory-billed woodpeckers were similarly cavity nesting species that preferred wetland ecosystems. Though they once inhabited North Carolina’s cypress swamps, it is widely believed that they quickly went extinct due to large scale logging in and around wetlands, and particularly in cypress forests.

The critical role of wetlands in supporting North Carolina’s wildlife is often underestimated. Over 70% of the state’s endangered, threatened, or specially concerned species rely on wetlands for their survival. However, recent policy changes suggest that up to 3.6 million acres of North Carolina’s wetlands may lose their protective status, endangering these vital habitats.

Moreover, wetlands play a crucial ecological role by absorbing excess nutrients that contribute to dead zones and fish kills in rivers and estuaries. They also help manage floodwaters, with an average capacity to retain up to 1.5 million gallons per acre, thus mitigating flood impacts on cities, towns, communities, and agricultural lands.

As flood risks increase, so do insurance costs under FEMA’s new premium system, making the preservation of wetlands increasingly urgent. These ecosystems not only provide essential habitat for North Carolina’s wildlife but also support the state’s thriving hunting, fishing, and outdoor recreation industries. Wetlands are economically indispensable, sustaining a diverse range of fish and shellfish species crucial to recreational and commercial fishing.

In conclusion, wetlands encompass 40% of the world’s species and are vital to maintaining North Carolina’s ecological and economic health. Protecting these habitats is essential for safeguarding wildlife, mitigating flood risks, and supporting sustainable economic activities statewide.

• White v. EPA – Fighting for Wetlands Protections

Attorneys for NCWF and National Wildlife Federation have filed a motion in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina to intervene in White v. EPA. This case challenges federal protections for wetlands, greatly reduced by the 2023 Sackett v. EPA Supreme Court decision. The plaintiff argues for a narrow definition that could exclude most wetlands from Clean Water Act coverage, endangering the benefits these habitats provide to families, outdoor enthusiasts, and communities. Mark Sabath of the Southern Environmental Law Center warns that such a ruling could devastate North Carolina’s waters and beyond, affecting drinking water, wildlife, fisheries, and flood protection, particularly along coastal areas like the Albemarle Sound. READ MORE 

• Black River

NCWF engaged supporters in exploring and celebrating the Black River ecosystem through their For the Love of the Black River giving campaign, offering a chance to experience its fragile natural beauty and rich history and to celebrate partnering conservation organizations crucial in increasing public and private conservation lands around the Black River. Located in southeastern North Carolina, the Black River is a tributary of the Cape Fear River known for its diverse wildlife and ancient bald cypress forest, a testament to its unique ecological significance. On October 21, 2023, ten lucky campaign supporters embarked on a kayak trip down the river led by Captain Robbins, showcasing their dedication to preserving North Carolina’s wildlife and habitats. READ MORE

Coastal Ecological Communities and Ecosystems – Pocosins, Coastal Plains, and Sounds and Estuaries

Nestled between the Piedmont and the coast, there are many land scape types within the eastern region of North Carolina, including salt marshes, dunes, pocosins, and longleaf pine savannas, and more.

The plant and animal communities within these landscape types are uniquely shaped by the region’s warmth, coastal tides, salty air, and sandy terrain. Many plant species have evolved specialized adaptations to thrive in these conditions, while others cannot withstand the high salinity prevalent in the air and water.

The variety of water bodies in the coastal plain plays a crucial role in defining the ecosystems that take place here. Unlike the mountainous western part of the state with its bogs and trout streams, the coastal plain features Carolina bays, salt marshes, tidal rivers, sounds, and estuaries, which provide essential habitats for the diverse plant and animal life found here.

Pocosin Communities and Ecosystems

Also known as evergreen shrub bogs, pocosins are densely vegetated landscape types with peat-rich soil. The term “pocosin” originates from an Algonquian Indian word meaning “swamp on a hill”, reflecting both the appearance and function of the communities that live here. A map of the coastal plain often reveals streams flowing outward from larger pocosins, highlighting their role as elevated hills in the landscape, collecting rainfall and seepage from ancient sand dunes (Blevins & Schafale, 127).

However, the nutrient-poor water and soils of pocosins lack the bacterial and fungal density necessary for effective organic matter decomposition. Consequently, nutrients are not readily recycled into the soil, leading to accumulations of undecomposed plant material that form a sponge-like ground cover, raising the water table and further saturating the environment. Over millennia since the last ice age, this layer of organic matter has accumulated to depths of up to ten feet (Blevins & Schafale, 128).

Due to the saturated, acidic peat soils, plant life in pocosins consists of species adapted to these harsh conditions, such as Atlantic white cedar, wax myrtle, titi, pond pine, black gum, and gallberry. Despite their adaptations, the low nutrient content results in stunted and contorted growth forms that contribute to the dense, impenetrable appearance typical of pocosins.

Despite these harsh environmental factors, pocosins play a vital role in the coastal landscape, providing essential habitat for wildlife and offering numerous ecosystem services.

Pocosins are critical for maintaining water quality by filtering rainwater and stream runoff through their silty soils and organic layers. Their sponge-like humus layer aids in flood control during coastal storm surges. Additionally, the dense vegetation – in addition to providing cover for wildlife – aids in coastal carbon sequestration, with significant carbon storage in the peat soil layer.

Insects and other invertebrates, in the absence of bacteria and fungi, play a crucial role in nutrient cycling and organic matter breakdown, both on land and in the waterlogged areas where puddles, streams, and ponds form. These insects support a diverse community of birds, from warblers and wrens to threatened species like the Bachman’s sparrow. Waterfowl such as wood ducks, herons, egrets, and anhingas feed on underwater invertebrates and fish within pocosins.

Birds of prey, including screech owls, swallow-tailed kites, and northern harriers, thrive in pocosins, preying on small mammals and reptiles sheltered within the dense vegetation, including diamondback rattlesnakes, rabbits, mice, and rats.

Larger mammals also call pocosins home, including white-tailed deer, black bears, raccoons, gray foxes, bobcats, river otters, and more.

Longleaf Pine Savanna Communities and Ecosystems

Also a longstanding feature of the coastal plain and extending further inland than pocosins, longleaf pine savannas represent another crucial yet endangered community in North Carolina.

Thriving in sandy soil and open, sunny conditions, longleaf pine savannas are known for their diverse understory, including various grass species like wiregrass, broomsedge bluestem, and eastern gamagrass – all growing below and amongst longleaf pine trees. Once abundant across the southeastern United States, longleaf pine trees were extensively harvested for lumber and pitch, leading to early issues of overexploitation with legacy impacts we still see today.

Emerging after severe droughts in the Miocene era, longleaf pine savannas originally developed as grasslands along the eastern and gulf coasts, providing habitat and food for grazers such as bison, native horses (which evolved in North America and went extinct between 10 and 12,000 years ago, to be replaced by human-introduced, non-native horse species in the 16th century), mammoths, mastodons, and giant ground sloths. This community of large herbivores played a crucial role in the ecosystem by controlling vegetation and cycling nutrients. These herbivores also shaped the mosaic landscape, maintaining wide spacing between trees for their paths, spreading seeds, and developing the understory into the diverse array of forage we recognize as a feature of the savanna today. This “mosaic” landscape changed dramatically (and regularly) as fire raked across the 90+ million acres prior to large-scale human structures. Contrary to popular belief, longleaf pine savannas are not a monotonous swath of grass and trees, but include bogs, forests, xeric (dry) bushy ecotones, and swamps.

Modern conservation efforts employ prescribed burning, a practice that early European settlers observed when they encountered indigenous communities in the southeast, to mimic natural fire regimes critical for maintaining the health of these ecosystems. Many state agencies and private/public land stewards use controlled burns to manage vegetation and support ecosystem function. Fire is used to maintain a high diversity of forb, woody vine, and grass species in the understory, which would otherwise be outcompeted by hardwood trees whose large foliage shades smaller plants that require full sunlight to thrive. Many species rely on the heat of fire or compounds in smoke to release seed pods and queue germination. Fire also clears dead leaves from the ground, allowing water and sunlight to penetrate the sandy soil and be used readily by the unharmed root systems that send up new growth within weeks of a burn.

Despite the absence of extinct megafauna, longleaf pine ecosystems remain one of the most biodiverse landscapes in the world. Numerous insects, including essential pollinators, depend on these habitats for survival. Among the canopy, you can still find spotted purples while regal fritillaries flit below in the flowering understory. The populations of these species, however, have suffered as less than 3% of the historic range of the longleaf pine savanna has been left intact.

Flying wildlife abound in longleaf pine savannas, which provide habitat and migratory pathways for over 200 species of birds, including Bachman’s sparrows, wild turkeys, eastern meadowlarks, northern bobwhites, and brown-headed nuthatches. Among these inhabitants is the critically endangered red-cockaded woodpecker, which specifically relies on 60+ year old longleaf pine trees in mature stands for nesting cavities. The loss of intact old-growth stands poses a significant threat to the survival of this keystone species.

Many mammals – though much smaller than the extinct species that once called these savannas home – are prominent members of longleaf pine communities, including eastern fox squirrels, bobcats, and white-tailed deer.

• Longleaf Pine Work

NCWF – in addition to exploring some collaborative opportunities with the NWF, who has been actively engaged with longleaf restoration throughout the southeast – is actively involved in protecting and restoring longleaf pine habitats through collaborative efforts with partners and Community Wildlife Chapters. They are coordinating extensive habitat improvements for the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker (RCW) and other species in eastern NC. NCWF, in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Coastal Program, is also enhancing habitat for the federally threatened eastern black rail. This project includes restoring Atlantic white cedar, a threatened forest ecosystem, to its historical range within Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge. READ MORE

Sound and Estuary Communities and Ecosystems

Those who have experienced the North Carolina coast are familiar with the allure of our estuarine sounds and rivers. These coastal features are among the most valuable settings for much of our coastal and marine wildlife.

The distinctive features of estuaries is that that they are a transition zone from ocean seawater to fresh river waters.  Estuaries are semi-enclosed coastal bodies of water where freshwater from rivers and streams mixes with seawater from the ocean or sea.

The estuarine ecosystem, estuaries, are ecologically vital, serving as crucial nursery grounds for native fish species. Margaret Martin, in A Long Look at Nature, notes, “North Carolina’s saltwater fishes occupy 2,500 square miles of sounds, bays, marshlands, and tidal creeks along 320 miles of coastline.” Approximately 90 percent of fish caught off the coast spend part of their lives in estuaries, where young organisms feed on abundant zooplankton, benthic invertebrates, algae and detritus and seek refuge in the various structures that exist within the estuary such as seagrass beds, oyster reefs, soft coral and sponge communities, and other stuctured environs that provide food and shelter from predators..

Grass-beds, for example, are composed of eelgrass, turtle grass, and shoal grass and serve a pivotal role in coastal underwater ecosystems. They stabilize sediment, mitigate wave impact during storm surges, sequester carbon, and provide essential nursery habitat for juvenile fish and invertebrates, including shrimp, blue crab, bay scalllops, flounder, red drum, and others.

Regrettably, the abundance of shrimp in these coastal environments has led to challenges. Inshore bottom trawling for shrimp is a destructive, unsustainable fishing practice that profoundly impacts our estuaries and fisheries populations. Using heavy doors and chains to drag nets across already depleted underwater landscapes, inshore bottom trawlers devastate these environments, including seagrass beds. For every pound of shrimp harvested in North Carolina waters, more than four pounds of non-target catch (bycatch), including juvenile finfishes, are discarded.

On May 23, 2024, the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries announced to the N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission the cancellation of the 2024 recreational flounder season in areas subject to their jurisdiction. The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission opened four days of recreational harvest of southern flounder in inland and joint waters. Though the recreational season has since been determined reopen for four days in September, the decision to close the primary season in coastal waters – the first of its kind in the state – underscores the urgent need to address the dire state of southern flounder and other critical fisheries in North Carolina.

Due to the mixing of freshwater and saltwater in estuaries, members of both aquatic communities often converge here.

Some species within estuaries, such as striped bass, are anadromous, migrating not to evade winter conditions but for reproductive purposes. However, their spawning cycles hinge largely on water temperatures, which vary by location and influence the viability and survival of fish eggs and larvae. Consequently, spawning fish must seek out optimal conditions for their young.

Striped bass, among others like sturgeon, alewife, blueback herring, and American shad, are anadromous, spending most of their lives in saltwater but migrating to freshwater to spawn. Conversely, American eels are catadromous, residing mainly in freshwater and migrating to saltwater to reproduce.

Bottlenose dolphins and manatees frequent the grass beds along North Carolina’s coast, while terns, gulls, ducks, geese, sandpipers, plovers, pelicans, and more gather on the shores, feeding on the abundant fish. Threatened and endangered sea turtles (Loggerhead, Kemps Ridley, and Green) and alligators are also found in these waters.

• Save Our Sounds

North Carolina is the only state on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts that still allows large-scale shrimp trawling in its estuaries. It is not a coincidence that we are also currently facing a high level of threat to flounder and some of our other most important fisheries, such as weakfish, spot, Atlantic croaker, and blue crab. States to our south, such as South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, stopped allowing this type of inshore shrimp trawling decades ago and have become a preferred destination for North Carolina anglers. As a result of chronic mismanagement, the 2024 flounder season was cancelled in May. However, the NCWRC has decided to re-open the hook-and-line inland flounder season within their jurisdiction for four days, on September 1-2 and September 7-8. Gigging will not be allowed during this temporary season. 

Ending the practice of inshore shrimp trawling isn’t the only step that should be taken to address our declining fisheries, but it is one of the most immediately impactful. That’s why NCWF is calling on our state legislators to put a stop to inshore shrimp trawling as soon as possible. As we’ve seen with the need to cancel the 2024 marine flounder season, North Carolina’s most vulnerable fisheries cannot wait.

Please take action and message your representative today to emphasize the importance of the state’s marine life, and ensure that North Carolina joins its coastal state neighbors in banning this harmful practice to save our sounds. READ MORE

• Living Shoreline

North Carolina’s extensive 12,000 miles of estuarine shoreline are vital habitats, supporting a rich diversity of wildlife including blue crabs, shrimp, mussels, snails, barnacles, herons, ospreys, skimmers, terns, and various fish species. These coastal areas face significant threats such as sea level rise, boat-induced waves, storms, and poor development practices. Living shorelines, composed of natural elements like oyster shells, limestone, and native marsh grasses, offer effective erosion control while enhancing wildlife habitat and community resilience. A recent project at Camp Caroline in Arapahoe, NC, restored 305 feet of shoreline with native salt meadow hay plugs, replacing inadequate structures with a robust living shoreline—a testament toNCWF’s commitment to science-based habitat restoration and wildlife conservation. READ MORE

 

Sources:

“Wild New World: The Epic Story of Animals and People in America” by Dan Flores

“Wild North Carolina: Discovering the Wonder of Our State’s Natural Communities” by David Blevins and Michael Schafale

Red Cockaded Woodpeckers – US Army Corps of Engineers 

Written by:

 

– Bates Whitaker, NCWF Communications & Marketing Manager

 

 

– Dr. Liz Rutledge, NCWF VP of Wildlife Resources

 

 

– Manley Fuller, NCWF VP of Conservation Policy

 

 

– Page Turner, NCWF Conservation Coordinator

 

 

– Dr. Louis Daniel, NCWF Senior Marine Scientist