When you’re driving along Highway 345 toward Wanchese, Coastal Studies Institute (CSI) is a surprising sight. Perched along the Croatan Sound, the white, many-windowed, modern building stands in stark contrast to the acres of surrounding marshland and inspires curiosity about what's going on inside.
A world-class marine science facility, CSI sits on a 200-acre site of by marsh, scrub and forested wetlands and estuarine ecosystems. It’s the perfect base to study coastal processes, which is exactly what they do in there.
Led by East Carolina University in Greenville, N.C., CSI is a research and educational partnership for North Carolina State University, UNC-Chapel Hill, UNC Wilmington and Elizabeth City State University. Looking for solutions to problems that will help coastal communities, ecosytems and economies thrive, researchers here study coastal dynamics, ecology, biology, economics, environmental geography, social and behavioral sciences and engineering. Areas of study include coasts and people, marine and coastal ecosystems, oceanographic and coastal processes, climate change, marine and coastal resource management, and renewable ocean energy.
Photo: CSI scientists recently deployed an observation buoy near Jennette's Pier that will collect valuable weather and ocean data for future renewable ocean energy device testing. See the full story here.
The campus, which includes a 52,000-square-foot research building with classrooms, research labs and offices and a separate marine service facility, opened in 2013. It’s an environmentally sustainable coastal campus that demonstrates how architecture can blend and develop a relationship with the surrounding ecosystem. It is LEED Gold Certified and has won several architecture awards including the prestigious 2014 Chicago Athenaeum International Architecture Award for Best New Global Design, among many others.
In addition to faculty and graduate students working here, undergraduate students, interns and youth have opportunities to learn here. CSI is not a closed-off research institution. If you’re interested in seeing the campus or learning about the research they are conducting, they have robust outreach programs and staff who are actively engaged with the community and local schools.
“Community outreach programs are central to the mission of the Coastal Studies Institute," says John McCord, associate director for education, outreach and communications at CSI. "Through programs like tours, summer camps, family programs, the Science on the Sound lecture series and our annual Open House, we create opportunities for people to connect with coastal science in meaningful ways. These events educate, entertain and hopefully inspire stewardship, helping to foster a community that values and protects our coastal environment.”
Here's what is going on at CSI this spring and summer and how you can get behind the scenes.
Guided Tours
Upcoming dates: April 9 and 23
CSI offers guided tours on the second and fourth Wednesday of every month at 10 a.m. This month’s tours are on April 9 and 23. A guide takes visitors through the main Research Education & Administration building to learn about academic programs, current research projects, the campus and more. The tours are family friendly with interactive elements, and children ages 8 and older are welcome. Tours cost $5 and preregistration is required. Register here. Large groups can request private tours at (252) 475-5451.
Photo: Musician Jack Johnson with a "cigarette surfboard." A film called The Cigarette Surfboard will be the highlight of CSI's Science on the Sound program in April.
Science on the Sound
Third Thursday of the month
Upcoming date: April 17
Science on the Sound is a lecture series highlighting information, research projects and education programs on coastal topics and issues of concern for coastal communities. You can attend in person at CSI or watch the lecture livestreams on their YouTube channel, where you can also catch all the past programs. In Science on the Sound you could learn about everything from fish development to beachcombing to gardening to history to climate change. All presentations are free, and the public is welcome and encouraged to attend. April’s Science on the Sound is being held in a special location.
April 17, 5 to 8 p.m. This special edition of Science on the Sound is a film screening of The Cigarette Surfboard at the Pioneer Theater in Manteo. Held in conjunction with the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau, there will be a pre-screening party with a food truck and beverages for sale in the Pioneer Theater Courtyard. Filmmaker Ben Judkins and board shaper Taylor Lane will be there with cigarette surfboards on display. The film will be shown at 6, with a Q&A with Judkins and Lane right after. Admission is free but preregistration is required. Snag a seat for the movie here.
May 22, 6 p.m.: To Be Determined
June 19, 6 p.m.: “Finding Balance: The Outer Banks Long-Range Tourism Management Plan” presented by Lee Nettles and Jeff Schwartzenberg (Outer Banks Visitors Bureau).
Soundside Science Scouts
Friday, April 25
Coastal Studies Institute will host a one-day camp called Estuary Explorers on Friday, April 25, a school holiday. This program will run from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. for ages 7 to 10. Pre-registration is required, and cost is $80 per student. Register here.
Photo: Tour the CSI campus during the annual Open House on May 17.
CSI Open House
Saturday, May 17, 12:30 to 4 p.m.
During this yearly event, visitors have the opportunity to tour the campus, learn about current research and education programs, take part in family-friendly activities, and interact with faculty and staff from ECU, CSI and partners such as NC Sea Grant, NOAA’s Monitor National Marine Sanctuary and the Outer Banks Center for Dolphin Research. It’s free to visit, and everyone is welcome.
Summer Camps for Youth
June 9 through August 8
CSI summer camps focus on STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) concepts with hands-on experiences and outdoor exploration. Each week has a particular theme and runs Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Each session accepts 16 campers between the ages of 10 and 15. One camp for teens, the week of August 11 to 15 for ages 13 to 17. The registration fee for all camps is $400 per person. Camps fill quickly, but there are some current openings. Find out more here.
Coastal Studies Institute is at 850 N.C. Highway 345 in Wanchese. For more information, call them at (252) 475-5400 or visit them online at coastalstudiesinstitute.org. Photos from Coastal Studies Institute Facebook.
About the Author Molly Harrison
Molly Harrison is managing editor at OneBoat, publisher of OuterBanksThisWeek.com. She moved to Nags Head in 1994 and since then has made her living writing articles and creating publications about the people, places and culture of the Outer Banks.
