Commemorating someone today who was very influential in my corner of the world, Orrin Pilkey. A powerful advocate for coastal ecology.

Orrin Pilkey, a Duke University geologist who spent decades as one of North Carolina’s foremost communicators about the risks of coastal development in the face of sea level rise, has died.

Pilkey was 90 years old, according to an obituary prepared by his family. Pilkey spent decades as a Duke University geologist, founding the Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines even as he publicly advocated for development policies that more carefully considered the risks of building on land at the edge of the ocean.

In a 2006 interview, Grist magazine asked Pilkey what one thing he wished every reader would do. He responded, “Think of ocean beaches as being sacred, and do everything in your power to preserve them.”

From the fate of the Cape Hatteras lighthouse to the construction of seawalls to decisions about the future of N.C. 12, Pilkey spent decades embroiled in almost every debate about North Carolina’s coastal policy. The Duke professor’s views, expressed across dozens of books and hundreds of written pieces, carried heavy influence with environmental groups while meeting strong resistance in places that saw development as key to their economy.

Read more about his life and work here and here. And be kind and thoughtful today. Cheers.