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North Carolina has the largest and most productive estuarine system of any state on the eastern seaboard. Behind the state’s fragile strand of barrier islands, lie shallow sounds where the land and sea gradually merge to form estuaries and brackish wetlands that support large populations of fish, shrimp, crabs and shellfish. In order to promote shellfish production and protect vital shellfish habitat, the Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) maps coastal waters to find concentrations of oysters, clams and scallops and locate areas that are well suited for growing shellfish. To date, the DMF has mapped over 95,000 acres of waters from the Cape Fear River to the Newport River, including South River and areas in Core and Roanoke sounds. Read more and see the gear used.