Charles H. 'Pete' Peterson, Ph.D.

Research

Charles H. “Pete” Peterson died on Oct. 24, 2020. He was a distinguished professor emeritus at the UNC-Chapel Hill Institute of Marine Sciences. Peterson’s Pew fellowship helped develop environmental regulations for coastal water quality and estuarine fisheries management in North Carolina that evaluate the consequences of alternative human activities on the health and production of two critical estuarine habitats: seagrass beds and oyster reefs. Peterson also developed management schemes to preserve seagrass habitat and dependent biodiversity and to restore oyster habitat and production. Peterson played a role in the crafting and successful approval of the first state regulations in North Carolina to protect riparian buffers for reduction of nutrient loading to the Neuse River and to establish a cap on total nutrient loading to the river. He also initiated regulatory efforts for oyster restoration in coastal areas of North Carolina.