EXHIBIT 99.01

PRESS RELEASE

December 16, 2008

CONTACT:	ECB Bancorp, Inc.
	Gary M. Adams, Chief Financial Officer
	(252) 925-5525
	(252) 925-8491 facsimile

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ECB BANCORP, INC. REPORTS DECLARATION OF

QUARTERLY CASH DIVIDEND

ENGELHARD, NORTH CAROLINA - ECB Bancorp, Inc. (Nasdaq: ECBE), the parent holding company of The East Carolina Bank (the “Bank”), announced today that, on December 16, 2008, the Corporation’s Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.1825 per share, payable on January 12, 2009, to shareholders of record on December 29, 2008.

On an annualized basis, the Corporation’s 2008 dividend of $0.73 per share represents a 4.3% increase over the 2007 annual dividend of $0.70 per share.

About ECB Bancorp, Inc.

ECB Bancorp, Inc. is a bank holding company, headquartered in Engelhard, North Carolina, whose wholly-owned subsidiary, The East Carolina Bank, is a state-chartered, independent community bank insured by the FDIC. The Bank provides a full range of financial services through its 24 offices covering eastern NC from Currituck to Ocean Isle Beach and Greenville to Hatteras. ECB also provides mortgages, insurance services through the Bank’s licensed agents, and investment and brokerage services offered through a third-party broker-dealer. The Company’s common stock is listed on The Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol “ECBE”. More information can be obtained by visiting ECB’s web site at www.ecbbancorp.com.

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