Terms and Conditions
Welcome to the North Carolina Marine & Estuary Foundation (“NCMEF,” “we,” “our,” or “us”). These Terms and Conditions (“Terms”) govern your access to and use of www.ncmefoundation.org, the Red Drum Tracking Platform, the Red Drum Tracker mobile application, and all related content and services (collectively, the “Services”).
By accessing or using any of the Services, you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree, please discontinue use.
Our Mission
NCMEF is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing fisheries science, coastal education, habitat restoration, and sound management of North Carolina’s marine and estuarine resources.
The Services exist to share scientific knowledge, communicate the results of NCMEF-supported research, inspire stewardship of our coastal ecosystems, and encourage public engagement in the future of North Carolina’s fisheries and coastal communities. NCMEF asks that all visitors use the Services in a manner consistent with these purposes.
License to Use the App
For the Red Drum Tracker mobile application specifically, NCMEF grants you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license to use the app for personal, educational, and other lawful non-commercial purposes subject to these Terms.
Permitted Use
Subject to these Terms, you may use the Services for lawful personal, educational, research, and other non-commercial purposes, including to:
- Learn about NCMEF and its programs;
- View educational materials and scientific information;
- Explore the Red Drum Tracking Platform, on the website or in the app;
- Save favorite fish and receive optional notifications (app account holders);
- Subscribe to NCMEF communications;
- Make charitable donations (website);
- Purchase merchandise through our online store (website); and
- Share links to publicly available content.
Nothing in these Terms transfers ownership of any intellectual property or other rights to users.
User Conduct
You agree to use the Services responsibly and in compliance with all applicable laws. You agree not to:
- Attempt to gain unauthorized access to any portion of the Services or related systems;
- Reverse engineer, modify, or attempt to access the app’s source code;
- Introduce viruses, malicious software, or other harmful code, or circumvent security measures;
- Interfere with or disrupt operation of the Services;
- Use automated tools to scrape, harvest, or systematically collect content or data without our written permission;
- Misrepresent the source or meaning of information obtained from the Services;
- Use the Services in any manner that violates applicable laws or regulations.
NCMEF may suspend or restrict access for users who violate these Terms or whose actions threaten the security or integrity of the Services.
Scientific Information and Tracking Data
The Red Drum Tracking Platform provides educational access to information generated through NCMEF’s satellite tagging research, whether viewed on the website or in the app.
Satellite telemetry is an evolving scientific process. Fish locations are based on satellite communications and scientific interpretation and should be understood as estimates rather than exact positions. To support responsible stewardship of North Carolina’s marine resources, publicly displayed tracking locations are intentionally delayed by approximately seven days. Following completion of a tag deployment, additional data may become available that allow our scientists to review, correct, or refine previously displayed information.
We do not guarantee that tracking data will be continuously available or that every tagged fish will continue transmitting throughout its anticipated deployment period. Availability of certain features may depend on third-party services, satellite communications, internet connectivity, or scheduled maintenance.
This information is intended solely for educational, scientific, and public engagement purposes. It should not be interpreted as the current location of any fish and should not be relied upon for navigation, fishing activities, enforcement decisions, or any other operational purpose.
Stewardship
NCMEF believes scientific knowledge is most valuable when it encourages informed stewardship of our marine and estuarine resources. We encourage users to engage with information available through the Services in ways that promote education, research, responsible recreation, and thoughtful discussion of North Carolina’s coastal environment.
Educational and Research Use
NCMEF encourages educators, students, researchers, journalists, and other members of the public to reference information available through the Services for educational and other non-commercial purposes. When practical, we ask that users provide appropriate attribution to NCMEF and preserve the scientific context of any information they reproduce or reference. Requests to reproduce substantial portions of content, graphics, photographs, or educational materials should be directed to NCMEF before publication.
Accounts (App)
Creating an account in the mobile application is optional. Users are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of their login credentials and for all activity occurring under their account. We may suspend or terminate accounts, or discontinue access to certain features, at our discretion for violations of these Terms or for security, operational, or administrative reasons.
Intellectual Property
Unless otherwise noted, all content available through the Services, including text, photographs, graphics, illustrations, logos, videos, educational materials, reports, software, databases, maps, tracking data visualizations, and the overall design and presentation of the website and mobile application, is owned by or licensed to NCMEF and protected by applicable intellectual property laws. Nothing in these Terms grants users any ownership interest in this content.
The trademarks, service marks, and logos displayed throughout the Services, including the NCMEF name and logo, FINDEX, and THINK COASTAL, may not be used without prior written permission except as permitted by applicable law.
Content may not be copied, redistributed, modified, or commercially exploited without prior written permission, except as permitted above under Educational and Research Use.
Donations (Website)
The website allows visitors to make voluntary charitable contributions in support of NCMEF’s mission. All donations are processed through secure third-party payment providers. Unless otherwise stated, donations are non-refundable to the fullest extent permitted by law. If you believe a donation was made in error, please contact us promptly so we may review the circumstances.
Merchandise (Website)
NCMEF merchandise is offered through our Shopify-powered online store. Purchases may be subject to additional terms, shipping policies, and return policies applicable to the store.
Third-Party Services and Links
The Services may contain links to, or rely on, third-party websites and services, including payment processors, our online store, social media platforms, research partners, and other organizations, provided solely for the convenience of our users.
Portions of the Red Drum Tracking Platform are developed and hosted by Mapotic. Other technical services supporting the website and app, including analytics, authentication, application performance, and notifications, are provided by Google Analytics, Firebase, Sentry, Apple, and Google, among others.
NCMEF does not control and is not responsible for the content, availability, security, or privacy practices of third-party websites or services.
Disclaimer of Warranties
NCMEF strives to maintain accurate, current, and reliable information throughout the Services. However, the Services and all content are provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis. To the fullest extent permitted by law, NCMEF disclaims all warranties, express or implied, including warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, non-infringement, accuracy, completeness, or uninterrupted availability. We do not guarantee that the Services will always be available, error-free, or free of harmful components.
Limitation of Liability
To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, NCMEF, its directors, employees, volunteers, contractors, partners, and affiliates shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, consequential, special, exemplary, or punitive damages arising from or relating to your use of, or inability to use, the Services or any information made available through them. Your use of the Services is at your own risk.
Indemnification
You agree to indemnify and hold harmless NCMEF and its directors, employees, volunteers, and agents from any claims, damages, liabilities, costs, or expenses arising from your violation of these Terms or your misuse of the Services.
Privacy
Your use of the Services is also governed by the NCMEF Privacy Policy, which explains how we collect, use, and protect personal information.
Changes to These Terms
NCMEF may revise these Terms to reflect changes in our Services, programs, technology, or legal obligations. Revised Terms become effective upon posting. Continued use of the Services after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.
Governing Law
These Terms are governed by and interpreted in accordance with the laws of the State of North Carolina, without regard to its conflict of law principles. Any legal action arising under these Terms shall be brought in the appropriate state or federal court located in North Carolina, unless applicable law requires otherwise.
Contact Us
If you have any questions about these Terms, would like to request permission to reproduce content, believe a donation was made in error, or otherwise need to reach us, please contact:
North Carolina Marine & Estuary Foundation
Phone: (984) 304-7860
Email: info@ncmefoundation.org