Coastal America Designates North Carolina Aquariums as the Nation's 18th Coastal Ecosystem Learning Center; Second National Coastal Condition Report Released.ATLANTA -- Today, Coastal America designated the North Carolina Aquariums as the 18th center in the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. to be part of the national network of Coastal Ecosystem Learning Centers. This designation was presented to the aquarium by Benjamin Grumbles, assistant administrator for water, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), independent agency of the U.S. government, with headquarters in Washington, D.C. It was established in 1970 to reduce and control air and water pollution, noise pollution, and radiation and to ensure the safe handling and , and P. Lynn Scarlett, Assistant secretary for policy, management, and budget, U.S. Department of the Interior. Congressman Mike McIntyre and Bill Ross, North Carolina North Carolina, state in the SE United States. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean (E), South Carolina and Georgia (S), Tennessee (W), and Virginia (N). Facts and Figures Area, 52,586 sq mi (136,198 sq km). Pop. secretary of environment also attended the event. The national network of Coastal Ecosystem Learning Centers hosts more than 20 million people every year to educate them about the value of coastal resources. As the first center to be designated with multiple facilities, The North Carolina Aquariums have learning centers in Fort Fisher, Roanoke Island and Pine Knoll Shores. Grumbles also announced the availability of EPA's National Coastal Condition Report II. Second in a series of environmental assessments of U.S. coastal waters and the Great Lakes, the report represents collaboration among EPA EPA eicosapentaenoic acid. EPA abbr. eicosapentaenoic acid EPA, n.pr See acid, eicosapentaenoic. EPA, n. , the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Noun 1. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - an agency in the Department of Commerce that maps the oceans and conserves their living resources; predicts changes to the earth's environment; provides weather reports and forecasts floods and hurricanes and , U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Geological Survey. The report contains data provided by 23 coastal states through EPA's environmental monitoring and assessment program. "America's estuaries, wetlands, coral reefs, and mangrove mangrove, large tropical evergreen tree, genus Rhizophora, that grows on muddy tidal flats and along protected ocean shorelines. Mangroves are most abundant in tropical Asia, Africa, and the islands of the SW Pacific. forests are critical coastal habitats," said Grumbles. "We will continue to benefit from this abundant resource if we have a clear understanding of its health today. This report will serve as a baseline to understand how we can move forward to protect these vital areas." America's coastal waters are spawning grounds, nurseries, shelter and food for a host of fish, wildlife, waterfowl waterfowl, common term for members of the order Anseriformes, wild, aquatic, typically freshwater birds including ducks, geese, and screamers. In Great Britain the term is also used to designate species kept for ornamental purposes on private lakes or ponds, while in , and migratory birds. They contribute most of America's commercial and recreational fish catch, and - through fishing, boating, tourism, and other coastal industries - they provide more than 28 million jobs nation-wide. The EPA report is available at: www.epa.gov/owow/oceans/nccr2/ |
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