Sharks in the Graveyard: Spotting Sand Tiger Sharks in the Northwest Atlantic, a StoryMap created by the North Carolina Aquariums (NCA), a division of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, is one of 33 finalists in the 2025 ArcGIS StoryMaps Competition. Holly Doerr, NCA shark research scientist and Carol Price, Ph.D., NCA conservation research coordinator partnered with Nancy Pham Ho of South-East Zoo Alliance for Reproduction & Conservation (SEZARC) to create the StoryMap. It is an underwater journey along the North Carolina coast, where shipwrecks become shark hotpots. The NCA StoryMap both draws attention to NCA sand tiger shark conservation and illustrates the critical nature of the NC coastal waters to their survival.
“This project was created in hopes of providing a narrative detailing some of our work, while showcasing the data in a way that is both accessible to broad audiences and interactive,” said Doerr. “Carol, Nancy and I hope that the community enjoys viewing it as much as we have enjoyed creating it.”
The competition is co-hosted by Esri’s ArcGIS StoryMaps and ArcGIS Living Atlas of the World teams. More than 450 storytellers from 55 countries submitted stories in 14 languages to the competition. From the 33 finalists, the global community has an opportunity to select their pick for the Community Choice Award. Voting is open until March 10, 2026, at 8 p.m. ET or 5 p.m. PT at ArcGIS Meet the Finalists.
“We are thrilled by the submissions we received for the 2025 ArcGIS StoryMaps Competition. These selected finalists represent an outstanding subset of our global community’s work, celebrating the power of geospatial storytelling. Together, they inspire, educate, and inform by highlighting meaningful work underway in communities around the world,” said Ross Donihue, ArcGIS Storytelling team lead.
According to ArcGIS the competition encouraged storytellers to elevate the challenges and solutions that mean the most to them using their two capabilities—ArcGIS StoryMaps and Living Atlas — in one of three categories: people, infrastructure and environment. NCA is competing as a professional entry in the environment category.
ArcGIS will announce winners in April 2026 on or around Earth Day.
About the North Carolina Aquariums
The North Carolina Aquariums include NCA Fort Fisher, just south of Kure Beach and a short drive from Wilmington, NCA Pine Knoll Shores on the Crystal Coast, NCA Roanoke Island in Manteo and Jennette's Pier in Nags Head. The three aquariums and the pier are a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. The mission of the NC Aquariums is to inspire appreciation and conservation of our aquatic environments.
Aquariums hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Admission: $15 ages 13-61; $13 children ages 3-12; $14 seniors (62 and older) and military with valid identification; NC EBT card holders: $3. Free admission for children 2 and younger and N.C. Aquarium Society members and N.C. Zoo members. *EBT rate is applicable to a maximum of four tickets. Pier hours vary by season.
About the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR) manages, promotes, and enhances the things that people love about North Carolina – its diverse arts and culture, rich history, and spectacular natural areas. At more than 100 sites across the state, the department enhances education, stimulates economic development, improves public health, expands accessibility, and strengthens community resiliency. For more information, please visit www.dncr.nc.gov.