Few people have done more to help North Carolinians understand and appreciate our coast than Stanley R. Riggs, PhD. For over six decades, Dr. Riggs, or Stan as he likes to be called, has studied barrier islands, estuaries, and shorelines, speaking not just to scientists but to policymakers, communities, and everyday people about his research and findings. The sum of his scientific work is now being compiled into a planned 10-part book series about North Carolina’s ever-changing coastal system, Paradigm for a Coastal System Ethic – beginning with his first book of the series, Cape Lookout National Seashore: Paradigm for a Coastal System Ethic.

The books are being published by R.A. Fountain in cooperation with the NCLOW, a North Carolina nonprofit and regional economic development initiative seeking to successfully integrate the coastal region’s human culture, history, natural resources and societal needs. This first book of the series focusing on the Cape Lookout National Seashore blends science, history, and culture to show why Cape Lookout is extraordinary and how it can guide our approach to resilience in the face of storms, sea-level rise, and development.

Stan’s core message has always been clear: barrier islands are not fixed. They are living systems in motion. A sustainable future for the barrier islands and how we live on them depends upon learning to live with that change.

To receive your copy, please make a gift of $55 or more, which includes postage and handling. All proceeds benefit the Coastal Land Trust’s work conserving coastal North Carolina. Upon receipt, please allow up to 3 business days for your book to be mailed. Learn more about this book here (please only purchase through our page).