A manatee surfacing for air / Photo by: Erin Weeks/SCDNR

Welcome to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources Coastal Updates newsletter! You are receiving this email because you attended one of our public programs or signed up for updates from our agency. In this monthly newsletter, you’ll find the latest outdoors news, volunteer opportunities, useful career information and more. We hope it will help you enjoy and protect our state’s beautiful coastline.

What’s happening outdoors along the coast in November?

• The Atlantic red snapper season may be over, but the work is far from done. We ask that anglers continue to declare their bottom-fishing trips and report the red snapper they release via the VESL reporting platform throughout the remainder of October and November. Both in-season and out-of-season data is critical to gaining a complete understanding of the red snapper fishery as a whole, and we need your support in working toward the goal of more state-based management. Help us spread the word to fellow anglers to keep reporting their data! Plus, each week in November, we’ll be providing a few lucky winners with offshore fishing fear from Shimano and Crowder Rods; any angler who logs a bottom-fishing trip and reports their catch in VESL will be eligible to win. Follow us on Instagram for updates!
• November is Manatee Awareness Month! With temperatures dropping in the Lowcountry, manatees have begun their migration south. This time is crucial to document any manatee sightings in South Carolina waters; if you see any lingering visitors, share your findings here!
• Oyster season in the Lowcountry is well underway, and we want to help YOU enjoy the season sustainably. If you’re hosting an oyster roast this season, let us know a week in advance by calling (843) 396-0965; we’ll help you to roast responsibly and show you how to recycle your shells and support our resilient coastline. Find the closest oyster recycling drop off near you here!

SCDNR Seeks Input on 5 year ACE Basin Management Plan | News 2  

SCDNR Honors Foster McKissick With the Carroll A. Campbell Award | The Fishing Wire

Trash Picking with Charleston Waterkeeper (Charleston, SC) Tuesdays, November 3, 10, 17 and 24, 1–3 p.m. | Volunteer with our SCORE team alongside Charleston Waterkeeper to pick trash out of recycled oysters every Tuesday of the month! Roll up your sleeves and help ready this shell to be replanted in various state shellfish grounds and restoration projects. Register here.

Veterans Day Fishing Clinic (Yemassee, SC) | Wednesday, November 11, 9 a.m.–noon | Join SCDNR biologists and certified fishing instructors for a fun day of fishing at Nemours Plantation! In celebration of Veterans Day, SCDNR — in partnership with Nemours Plantation and the Nemours Wildlife Foundation — is offering a free clinic for veterans and active-duty military members. Please note: One military member or veteran is required; you can show your DD 214, Veteran’s ID, Active Duty Military ID or discharge papers. Register here.

SCDNR Saltwater Fishing Clinic (Yemassee, SC) Wednesday, November 11, 1–4 p.m. | In partnership with Nemours Plantation and the Nemours Wildlife Foundation, we’re offering a saltwater fishing clinic for anyone interested in learning how to fish! You’ll learn how to tie knots, rig your rod, how to cast, what bait to use and what fish you can catch. Register here.

Kayak Fishing 101 (Myrtle Beach, SC) Wednesday, November 11, 6–8 p.m. | Join us for Kayak Fishing 101, taught by our fishing instructors! This program builds on the introductory class to kayak fishing, and will teach you more about the different types of kayaks, freshwater versus saltwater, safety and more! Kids ages 6 to adults are welcome to attend. Register here.

MWR Fabrication with Charleston Waterkeeper (Charleston, SC) Thursday, November 12, 12:30–3:30 p.m. | Volunteer with our SCORE team alongside Charleston Waterkeeper to construct manufactured wire reefs (MWRs)! These MWRs will be used as a substrate for oyster larvae to land and grow on. You’ll cut, bend and fasten galvanized wire to form a reef structure, then add recycled oyster shell to complete the process. Register here.

ACE Basin Property Tour (Edisto Island, SC) | Friday, November 20, 9 a.m.–noon | Join SCDNR staff on a tour of the ACE Basin where we’ll explore the cultural and natural resources found throughout Botany Bay Plantation Heritage Preserve and Wildlife Management Area! Register here.

Saltwater Fishing Clinic (Georgetown, SC) | Tuesday, November 24, 10 a.m.–1 p.m. | Join SCDNR, North Inlet NERR staff and certified instructors to learn the basics of saltwater fishing! You’ll learn how to tie fishing knots, rig a rod and reel, cast and fish! Kids ages 4 to adults are welcome to attend. Register here.

Women’s Inshore Saltwater Fishing Clinic (Georgetown, SC) | Tuesday, December 15, 10 a.m.–1 p.m. | Join SCDNR, North Inlet NERR staff and certified instructors to learn the basics of saltwater fishing! You’ll learn how to tie fishing knots, rig a rod and reel, cast and fish. Women ages 12 to adults are welcome to attend. Register here.

SCDNR Natural Resource Fest (West Columbia, SC) | Friday, January 29, 9 a.m.–2 p.m. | Join the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources for a free, agency-wide career fair designed for middle school students. As students begin exploring their interests and planning for their futures through their personal pathway to success, Natural Resource Fest gives them a firsthand look at the many careers that support and protect South Carolina’s natural resources. Register here by Jan. 1, 2027.

We’re hiring!

Administrative Specialist II | Charleston County, SC | This employee will assist the Boat Titling and Licensing Section with the processing of watercraft and outboard motor transactions and the sale of hunting and fishing licenses.

Vehicle/Equipment Repair Technician II | Charleston County, SC | This employee will work within SCDNR’s Vessel Operations Section at the Marine Resources Division.  

Wildlife Biologist II | Hampton County, SC | This employee is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day tasks, training and follow up of staff in completion of management activities and administrative duties in Unit 4-D.

View all open SCDNR jobs here.

All Hands on Deck in the ACE Basin

NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management opened applications for the 2027–2029 Margaret A. Davidson Graduate Fellowship, and we have an opening for one at the ACE Basin NERR! This two-year program invites graduate students to conduct a collaborative research project on a key reserve management need. Learn more about the fellowship and apply here!

SCDNR is seeking public input on the proposed ACE Basin NERR Management Plan for 2026–2031. Created in partnership between SCDNR and NOAA, this plan serves as a framework to guide authorizations, approvals, fund and other actions for the ACE Basin NERR over the course of its cycle. Find the survey for public comment, as well as the drafted management plan, here!

SCORE Spotlight

Calling all coastal cooks! As a part of the SCORE/SC Sea Grant Consortium’s Title I schools grant, we will be developing a coastal cookbook highlighting South Carolina’s coastal cuisine. Please be as detailed as possible and include a picture, ingredients, cookware, step-by-step instructions, a fun recipe name and a personal or historic anecdote about your dish. If chosen for inclusion, we’ll share a copy of the cookbook with you! Please send your submissions to score@dnr.sc.gov.

Michael Hodges, SCDNR SCORE’s fearless leader, will be retiring from the program after 24 and a half years of service! Michael’s commitment to grassroots oyster restoration has always centered on fostering a sense of ownership for our natural resources. Under his tenure, SCORE has educated more than 26,500 people about the importance of oysters and salt marsh resiliency and has grown to be the largest state oyster shell recycling and restoration program in the country. Many other agencies, nonprofits and groups have applied what SCORE and Michael have created in South Carolina to their home fisheries.