Year in Review: 2025 Annual Report
Message from the Director
Greetings,
Welcome to the 2025 Annual Report for Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant. This year’s report highlights how our faculty and staff continue to deliver science‑based research, education, and outreach at a time when Georgia’s coast is experiencing rapid growth, increasing environmental risk, and rising demand for a skilled coastal workforce.
Georgia’s coastal communities remain among the fastest growing in the state. While this growth brings economic opportunity, it also places unprecedented pressure on infrastructure, ecosystems, and local decision‑making. At the same time, traditional coastal industries—from fisheries and aquaculture to tourism—are navigating workforce shortages, regulatory complexity, and climate‑driven challenges. Meeting these challenges requires trusted partnerships, applied research, and strong extension programs, all core to our mission.
Despite uncertainty and delays in federal funding, Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant made significant progress in 2025. We generated an estimated economic impact of 2.85 million, including leveraged grant funding, workforce training, education programs, volunteer service and shellfish and aquaculture production. We successfully met national standards of excellence during our quadrennial Sea Grant review, advanced strategic priorities, and expanded our reach across the state.
None of this work would be possible without our strong partnerships with local, state, and federal agencies, our volunteers and donors, and the communities who trust us to help guide coastal decision‑making. I am deeply grateful for the dedication of our faculty and staff, whose professionalism and resilience continue to move this program forward, even in challenging times.
As we look ahead, our focus remains on strengthening coastal resilience, expanding workforce development, sustaining healthy ecosystems, and supporting Georgia’s coastal economy through science‑based service.
I hope this report provides a meaningful snapshot of our impact and our commitment to the coast.
Sincerely,
Director of UGA Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant
Director of UGA Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant
RESILIENT
COMMUNITIES
AND ECONOMIES
RESILIENT COMMUNITIES AND ECONOMIES
Understanding the Economic Benefits of Georgia's Artificial Reefs
A new study by Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant shows that Georgia's artificial reef program provides a significant boost to the state's economy. For every dollar invested, the program returns between $1.60 and $2.40.
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources Coastal Resources Division manages 46 reef sites across 70,000 acres. These sites use repurposed materials like concrete reef balls and retired ships to create marine habitats. These structures attract divers and anglers who support the state's multimillion-dollar recreational fishing industry.
In 2023, reef-related activities contributed $8.2 million to the economy and sustained 44 jobs. Coastal economics specialist Eugene Frimpong led the research, which surveyed 370 stakeholders. The study recommends ongoing funding and strategic reef placement to balance the needs of inshore and offshore users while driving private investment.
Over the next 50 years, the program is projected to generate net benefits between $38 million and $139.3 million
RESILIENT COMMUNITIES AND ECONOMIES
Rethinking Runoff in Brunswick
Increased development can exacerbate stormwater runoff and degrade water quality, negatively impacting Georgia’s coastal waterways. Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant’s stormwater program addresses these challenges by working with coastal communities to implement low impact development and green infrastructure practices that protect, mimic, and restore the natural water cycle.
In 2024 and 2025, Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant’s Stormwater Specialist, Jessica Brown, partnered with the city of Brunswick to plan, design, and implement seven green infrastructure demonstration projects at Liberty Ship Park, Goodyear Park and Fire Station One. These sites were identified as vulnerable areas in the city’s Rethinking Runoff plan, developed in collaboration with Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant in 2022. Bioretention cells, bioswales, and permeable pavement were installed to capture and treat runoff.
Together, the projects now manage stormwater from more than 3.35 acres. Each installation included signage, workshops, and field tours to build public awareness and encourage broader adoption. Collectively, these efforts improved water quality, reduced flooding risks, and are strengthening stormwater management capacity in Brunswick and beyond.
The seven practices installed across three sites in Brunswick managed 1,641,203 gallons of stormwater runoff in FY2025.
RESILIENT COMMUNITIES AND ECONOMIES
Reinforcing Dune Restoration with Plants
Research funded by Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant was published in the June 2025 issue of Ecological Restoration, highlighting the importance of native vegetation in building and stabilizing newly constructed coastal dunes.
The study was conducted by Shannon Matzke while persuing her master’s degree at Georgia Southern University. As part of her project, Matzke monitored plant survivorship, growth, and sand accretion on new dunes on Tybee Island over a 14-month period. She also compared accretion rates to those on pre-existing dunes on the island and unvegetated sites on the constructed dune. Her research showed that plants were essential to dune building. Sites without vegetation accumulated almost no sand, while planted sites led to more dune building. Sand accretion increased as planting density increased up to about five plants per square meter. After just 14 months, the new plants on constructed dunes had reached the same average height and coverage as those on nearby pre-existing dunes.
The study offers practical, science-based guidance for future dune restoration and maintenance projects, with insights transferable to other barrier islands confronting the impacts of sea level rise, hurricanes and other climate-driven threats.
SUSTAINABLE
FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE
SUSTAINABLE FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE
Supporting Sustainable Oyster Aquaculture in Georgia
If you’ve seen Georgia oysters on a restaurant menu, there’s a good chance they started at Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant’s Shellfish Research Lab on Skidaway Island. Home to the state’s only shellfish hatchery, the lab began producing single oysters in 2015 to advance the aquaculture industry. In 2025, the lab produced and sold 4 million oyster seed to local farmers, generating an estimated economic impact of $1–1.4 million. When the state passed a law in 2019 that allowed leases for farming using floating cages, specialists at the lab were ready to share guidance to new farmers on equipment, site selection, and research-based growing techniques to improve efficiency and maximize production.
By offering aquaculture training courses and providing technical assistance, the lab has fostered a collaborative community of growers. The number of oyster farms has grown from one farm in 2017 to 10 in 2025, with the potential to produce between 7.5 and 12 million oysters annually
In April 2025, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources approved a rule allowing commercial oyster harvest during the summer thanks to research coming out of the Shellfish Research Lab. The study found that Vibrio levels remained within safe limits when oysters are kept on ice or shaded and cooled within two hours of harvest, giving farmers greater control over timing and quality while ensuring food safety.
SUSTAINABLE FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE
Creating Seafood Resources for Glynn County Residents
In 2025, Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant created seafood resources to help consumers understand Glynn County fish advisories. These resources include the fourth edition of the Pride in Glynn County Seafood Cookbook, a print handout with preparation and consumption tips, and a mobile-friendly website that allows anglers to quickly check consumption guidelines based on where seafood was caught.
Glynn County has a strong industrial past, and manufacturing activities have impacted the marsh environment. For the past two decades, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) have monitored these impacts through field sampling of marsh fish species commonly consumed by people. While eating seafood is healthy and an integral part of coastal culture, it’s important to know which recreationally caught species can be eaten frequently and which should be limited or avoided.
These tools were developed in collaboration with the Rebuild Glynn County Community Development Corporation, Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, and members of the coastal community.
Learn more about the Pride in Glynn County Seafood Cookbook.
SUSTAINABLE FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE
Strengthening the Seafood Industry
Throughout 2025, Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant connected coastal communities, seafood professionals and consumers through outreach events and training. These efforts promoted food safety, sustainability and public understanding of working waterfronts.
The inaugural Georgia Aquaculture Conference in April brought together 117 participants, including farmers, researchers and policymakers. Supported by a UGA Presidential SEED grant, the Athens event provided a platform to discuss market expansion and farm management. It highlighted the state’s potential to grow the aquaculture industry by leveraging existing agricultural networks and natural resources.
Food safety remained a priority through Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point training. These sessions equipped seafood processors and harvesters with the knowledge required to meet federal and state requirements. Participants earned certifications in safe handling and preventative measures.
In October, Seafood Month celebrations highlighted the economic importance of Georgia’s fisheries. Staff coordinated nine events for 183 participants, including boat excursions and tastings. Social media outreach reached 54,000 users, while local restaurant partnerships raised funds for the Shellfish Research Lab. These collective efforts foster informed consumers and resilient businesses along the coast.
HEALTHY
COASTAL
ECOSYSTEMS
HEALTHY COASTAL ECOSYSTEMS
Griot's Garden Podcast Unearths Stories from Sapelo
Produced by Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant, the Griot's Garden podcast explores the intersection of people, plants and culture. Through conversations with descendants of Sapelo Island’s Gullah Geechee community, the series highlights how native plants remain vital to daily life.
The series focuses on Hogg Hummock, one of the last intact Gullah Geechee communities in the Lowcountry. Residents have preserved traditions rooted in language, spirituality and land stewardship since the Civil War.
In 2023, Courtney McGill and Keren Giovengo launched the podcast to blend ecological context with cultural storytelling. Each episode features a specific plant and a community member, such as Sharron Grovner on sweetgrass weaving or Stanley Walker on the medicinal uses of life everlasting. Funded by private donations, the project emphasizes that protecting native plants is essential for cultural continuity.
As part of the project, the team produced native plant fact sheets for species featured in the series to help people understand their ecological and cultural significance.
As part of the project, the team produced native plant fact sheets for species featured in the series to help people understand their ecological and cultural significance.
The podcast is available here, as well as on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and other major platforms.
HEALTHY COASTAL ECOSYSTEMS
Studying Painted Buntings in Maritime Grasslands
Painted buntings are charismatic songbirds beloved by birders for their vibrant colors and visits to backyard feeders, yet their populations are declining rapidly due to habitat loss from development. While pursuing her master’s degree at UGA, Diane Klement received a research traineeship from Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant to study painted buntings on Little St. Simons Island, focusing on how they use native plants for food and shelter within maritime grasslands.
Little St. Simons Island is privately owned and protected by a conservation easement through The Nature Conservancy and contains some of the largest remaining maritime grasslands in the southeastern United States. Klement tracked bunting movements and analyzed their diets across sites managed under different prescribed burn regimes. She found that buntings spent more time in grasslands dominated by native grasses actively managed with prescribed fire.
Optimal habitat conditions occurred one to two years after a burn, when native plants and insects used for foraging were most abundant. As coastal development continues to encroach on maritime grasslands, Klement’s findings can help guide conservation and restoration of this imperiled habitat.
HEALTHY COASTAL ECOSYSTEMS
Exploring Salt Impacts on Freshwater Ecology on a Georgia Barrier Island
Funded through a research traineeship with Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant, Zach Gordon, while pursuing his master’s degree at Georgia Southern University, studied how saltwater intrusion is impacting historically freshwater habitats on Sapelo Island and altering ecosystem health, biological communities and key ecological processes. Sapelo Island provides an ideal platform for this research because historic agricultural channel modifications are allowing tidal saltwater to move inland, contributing to flooding, crop damage, and stress on freshwater-dependent organisms.
Gordon’s study compared sites impacted by saltwater intrusion through artificial channels with freshwater reference sites and isolated wetlands that comprise much of the island’s remaining freshwater habitat. Multiple methods were used to assess habitat condition and function, including seasonal net sampling of macroinvertebrates, mesh traps for fish, crayfish, and amphibians, and monthly experiments measuring leaf litter breakdown, a key process supporting aquatic food webs.
His results show that freshwater species are being replaced by salt-tolerant ones as saltwater intrusion increases, highlighting risks to vulnerable coastal habitats. His findings will be used to inform the management of vulnerable freshwater habitats.
ENVIRONMENTAL
LITERACY AND
WORKFORCE
DEVELOPMENT
ENVIRONMENTAL LITERACY AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
Fellows in Action: Advancing Coastal Research and Conservation
Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant offers student opportunities that prepare the next generation of coastal leaders for careers in ocean policy, coastal resource management, marine economics, applied research, and environmental education. Through hands-on experiences, mentorship, and real-world projects, students gain the skills and knowledge needed to address today’s coastal and marine challenges.
Through these student opportunities, Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant is nurturing future leaders in science, policy, and conservation, equipping students with the skills, mentorship, and hands-on experience needed to tackle the pressing environmental challenges facing Georgia’s coast and beyond.
ENVIRONMENTAL LITERACY AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
Fellows in Action: Advancing Coastal Research and Conservation
Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant offers student opportunities that prepare the next generation of coastal leaders for careers in ocean policy, coastal resource management, marine economics, applied research, and environmental education. Through hands-on experiences, mentorship, and real-world projects, students gain the skills and knowledge needed to address today’s coastal and marine challenges.
Through these student opportunities, Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant is nurturing future leaders in science, policy, and conservation, equipping students with the skills, mentorship, and hands-on experience needed to tackle the pressing environmental challenges facing Georgia’s coast and beyond.
Justin Sanclemente
State Fellow
Justin Sanclemente’s passion for herpetology led him from a master's thesis on Florida scrub lizards to a fellowship with the Jekyll Island Authority. He now specializes in coastal conservation research, specifically using radio telemetry to track Eastern diamondback rattlesnakes. The data he collects is vital for understanding the genetics and population dynamics of this declining species.
Mallory Mintz
Research Trainee
Mallory Mintz, a Ph.D. student and Georgia Sea Grant Research Trainee, studies the impacts of harmful algal blooms on oyster health within the Skidaway River Estuary. By combining field monitoring with citizen science, she works to predict and mitigate the effects of red tide species like Akashiwo sanguinea. Her research serves as a critical link between science and conservation, providing the data necessary to protect both coastal ecosystems and local communities.
Tamaris Henderson (L) with Georgia Sea Grant Legal Program Director, Katie Hill (R)
Tamaris Henderson (L) with Georgia Sea Grant Legal Program Director, Katie Hill (R)
Tamaris Henderson
Legal Fellow
Tamaris Henderson, a third-year UGA Law student, served as a Legal Fellow researching derelict crab and lobster trap policies for the NOAA-funded TRAP Program. Mentored by the Carl Vinson Institute of Government, she established regulatory baselines across coastal states to identify legal gaps in abandoned fishing gear removal. Her work, which included drafting marine policy and presenting to the Sea Grant Legal Network, provided critical insights into environmental law and coastal resource management.
HEALTHY COASTAL ECOSYSTEMS
Where Coast Meets Classroom
From touch tanks to tidal creeks, Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant’s Marine Education Center and Aquarium immerses learners in the science of Georgia’s coast. Located just 30 minutes from Savannah on Skidaway Island, the center offers visitors sweeping views of the marsh and a sense of wild seclusion. The facility has introduced generations to the wonders of the coast since opening to the public in 1971 as Georgia’s first saltwater aquarium. The center combines hands-on education, immersive fieldwork, and engaging exhibits to spark curiosity and stewardship. Each year, thousands of K-12 students hike salt marshes, take research cruises aboard the R/V Sea Dawg, and peer into microscopes in on-site labs, while college students, teachers, and visiting scientists deepen impactful conservation and preservation work through internships, workshops, and research partnerships.
42,388 individuals of all ages visited the UGA Aquarium or engaged in field and lab-based programs taught by marine educators at the facility.
2,571 people participated in public programs, learning about everything from oyster farming to maritime forests to alligator ecology.
PARTNERSHIPS
PARTNERSHIPS
Engaging Students in Long-Term Monitoring of Fish Populations
Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant, in partnership with Sapelo Island National Estuarine Research Reserve (SINERR), is advancing both research and education through long-term monitoring and innovative outreach tools. The Estuarine Fish Monitoring Collaborative (EFMC), launched in 2021, tracks how estuarine fishes respond to changes in climate, sea level, and water conditions through monthly juvenile fish trawls at 22 sites around Sapelo Island. Central to the effort is student and volunteer engagement: undergraduate students receive hands-on training in fish and invertebrate handling, trawl operations, and boating safety, equipping them with professional field skills and firsthand research experience. In 2025, 128 students participated in training, gaining insights into both the EFMC and the broader significance of local estuarine ecosystems.
Complementing the long-term monitoring effort, the EFMC team received funding for the creation of an online resource featuring a searchable database of 150 coastal fish species, field identification guides, and educational videos. Designed for students, educators, and recreational fishers, the platform promotes awareness of Georgia’s estuaries while supporting hands-on learning and conservation efforts.
PARTNERSHIPS
Restoring Reefs Using Recycled Shell
Oysters are essential to the health of Georgia’s coastline. By filtering water and forming reefs, they improve water quality, provide critical habitat for fish and other wildlife, and help protect shorelines from erosion. Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant has been recycling oyster shell for decades to rebuild reefs along the coast. To better coordinate these efforts statewide, We Recycle Shell was launched in 2023 in partnership with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and Shell to Shore. Any restaurant that sells oysters can participate. Businesses receive barrels for discarded shells, which are collected regularly and transported to central or coastal recycling stations. After curing for several months, the shells are returned to estuaries to form new oyster reefs. In its first year, the initiative collected more than 87,000 pounds of shell.
By 2025, partners recycled 134,492 pounds, with more than 200,000 pounds slated for use in experimental reef development on Sapelo Island in 2026.
More than 200,000 pounds of recycled
shell will be used create experimental reefs on Sapelo Island, supporting fisheries habitat, water quality and coastal resilience.
PARTNERSHIPS
Yamaha Rightwaters™ Repowers Fleet
Yamaha Rightwaters is partnering with Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant to repower and support its research and education fleet over the next five years. The collaboration began in 2025 with the donation of three 150-horsepower outboards and will continue through 2027 with four additional engines to ensure the vessels operate efficiently.
These boats are essential for hands-on aquaculture research, habitat restoration and monitoring, and environmental education programs for students and visitors. Reliable vessels are critical for delivering research, education, and outreach across Georgia’s coast, and Yamaha Rightwaters’ investment will allow Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant to expand their impact and better serve coastal communities.
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