> COASTAL EXPEDITIONS FOUNDATION
When South Carolina lost one of its five seabird nesting islands, Crab Bank Seabird Sanctuary following a hurricane, Coastal Expeditions realized how quickly the coastal population of seabirds could be affected.
The Charleston Harbor deepening project that was on the horizon was our opportunity to get this critical nesting island rebuilt with dredged sand, therefore we began working with local environmental groups, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources and the Army Corps of Engineers to save Crab Bank. As a result, this island is once again a thriving seabird rookery, supporting hundreds of Black Skimmer, Least Tern and American Oystercatcher nests each summer.
Consequently, we’ve made seabird conservation a major focus on the CEF, working to protect seabird nesting areas along the coast. Impact areas include:
- Annually fund a paid summer intern on Cape Romain NWR islands, directly protecting seabird and shorebird nests
- Successfully worked to get Deveaux Bank closed during the nesting season in 2024
- Proposed and achieved legislation to make the Eastern Brown Pelican the official State Seabird of South Carolina, under the leadership of Rep. Whetmore in 2024
- Increase community awareness through environmental education field trips and public tours
- Member of the Horseshoe Crab Recovery Coalition and standing witness in the lawsuit that protected horseshoe crabs in Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge.



Putting Passion Into Action
In 2018, Capt. Chris Crolley created the Coastal Expeditions Foundation to effectively participate in the fight to save Crab Bank Seabird Sanctuary, calling it “the most significant work” of his lifetime. The CEF raised funding and community awareness for the re-building of the new Crab Bank.