April 13, 2014 — A century-old research lab near Beaufort may be saved from the chopping block, depending on the success of legislative wrangling by two North Carolina congressmen.
The facility, owned and operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Ocean Service, sits on Pivers Island, just across the bridge from Beaufort. The lab opened in 1902 and employs more than 100 workers, including seven staff members from the state Division of Coastal Management. Research conducted there encompasses almost every aspect of marine and coastal science, including algal blooms, estuary habitats and endangered sea turtles, among many others. The majority of those issues have direct ties to Southeastern North Carolina.
"You name the coastal issue, they've got their neck in it," said Josh Bowlen, a spokesman for U.S. Rep. Walter B. Jones, a Republican who represents the 3rd Congressional District. "Whether it be turtles, marine mammals, dolphins and whales or any of the fish populations that are present off North Carolina – they are working on or have worked on all of those."
The lab is in danger of shutting down because a line item in President Barack Obama's budget proposal for the coming fiscal year recommends its closure for financial reasons. According to NOAA, the lab "requires infrastructure repairs and improvements exceeding agency budget resources now and for the foreseeable future." But Jones and 7th District U.S. Rep. Mike McIntyre have protested that logic, noting that the agency invested roughly $14 million to upgrade the research facility in the past few years.