UNCW students host forum on Port of Wilmington expansion

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Plans are in the works to expand the Port of Wilmington and some UNCW students led a discussion about what that means for the community on Tuesday night.

Graduate students in the Master of Coastal and Ocean Policy Program hosted a forum on Tuesday to talk about the potential impacts of the growth of the port.

Panelists included members of the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce, Cape Fear Riverwarch, NC Port Authority, and Gullah Geechee Heritage.

Student Maiya Baum says they hope participants not only learned more about the port expansion, but also the Coastal and Ocean Policy Program.

“When you hear that right off the bat you might just think we’re saving the fish or we’re saving the beach, which we are and that’s an aspect of it, but it also shows we are an interdisciplinary program and we do seek to solve local and real-world problems as well,” Baum said.

The focus of the discussion was people, planet, and profit, which the students refer to as the three pillars of sustainability.