Fish Community Sampling Sites: The North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Division of Water Quality,with funding from the NC Clean Water Management Trust Fund and in cooperation with the NC Center for Geographic Information and Analysis, developed the digital fish community sampling data to enhance water quality assessment & plan review of Trust Fund project applications. This file identifies points where fish community sampling has been done.

Shellfish Growing Areas: The North Carolina (NC) Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Division of Environmental Health (DEH) - Shellfish Sanitation and Recreational Water Quality Section (SSRWQ) identifies Designated Shellfish Growing Areas (SGA) covering the entire NC coast. The SSRWQ performs water sampling at designated stations throughout the year to determine the extent of contamination of waters in each SGA, and submits recommendations to the Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) to close or open waters for shellfish harvesting. The DMF disseminates a proclamation with SSRWQ recommendations to create closed harvesting areas with specified closure boundaries, in which the harvest of shellfish is prohibited. Waters within each SGA may be permanently closed (prohibited), open (approved), or subject to being opened or closed (conditionally approved open or conditionally approved closed) based on an existing management plan for the area.

Fish Community Sampling Sites: The North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Division of Water Quality,with funding from the NC Clean Water Management Trust Fund and in cooperation with the NC Center for Geographic Information and Analysis, developed the digital fish community sampling data to enhance water quality assessment & plan review of Trust Fund project applications. This file identifies points where fish community sampling has been done.

Shellfish Growing Areas: The North Carolina (NC) Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Division of Environmental Health (DEH) - Shellfish Sanitation and Recreational Water Quality Section (SSRWQ) identifies Designated Shellfish Growing Areas (SGA) covering the entire NC coast. The SSRWQ performs water sampling at designated stations throughout the year to determine the extent of contamination of waters in each SGA, and submits recommendations to the Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) to close or open waters for shellfish harvesting. The DMF disseminates a proclamation with SSRWQ recommendations to create closed harvesting areas with specified closure boundaries, in which the harvest of shellfish is prohibited. Waters within each SGA may be permanently closed (prohibited), open (approved), or subject to being opened or closed (conditionally approved open or conditionally approved closed) based on an existing management plan for the area.