The Marine Extension Service is a Public Service & Outreach
unit of the University of Georgia. It coordinates programs of
applied research, advisory services and education from offices
in Athens and Atlanta and from facilities in Savannah and Brunswick
to extend economic and cultural benefits throughout the state
and region.
The Shellfish Research Laboratory is a unit of the Marine Extension
Service. It overlooks rich tidal marshland on the north end
of Skidaway Island, an interior barrier island outside Savannah,
Georgia. Our vision is shaped and diversified by evolving needs
on the coast. The region has been experiencing rapid development
and a burgeoning population. Consequently, water quality is
declining and natural resources are being depleted. Important
fisheries have failed, increasing the demand for aquaculture
research to enhance native stocks, to develop new aquaculture
products and to evaluate new species and technologies. The Shellfish
Research Laboratory strives to contribute significant knowledge
to the development and promotion of environmentally friendly
aquaculture industries, and is also available to assist citizens
through the associated permitting, regulations, and licensing
process. We have emerged as leaders in the field of marine invasive
species, having initiated port surveys, a coastwide monitoring
program, and a public campaign to reduce their further spread.
The laboratory also coordinates a coastwide volunteer based
water quality monitoring program (Adopt-A-Wetland) and the state's
first oyster restoration effort (GEORGIA Generating Enhanced
Oyster Reefs in Georgia's Inshore Areas).
As we continue to pursue, expand and advance our research and
outreach programs in the areas of fisheries management, aquaculture,
water quality, habitat restoration and invasive species, we
hope to preserve and enhance coastal natural resources and to
foster sustainable economic and social growth in the coastal
community. |
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