The University of Georgia Marine Institute At Sapelo Island
New research published in Nature Communication sshows that a mutualistic relationship — where two organisms benefit from each other’s activities — between ribbed mussels and salt marsh grasses may play a critical role in helping salt marshes bounce back from extreme climate events such as drought.
UGA hosted a retreat for Georgia’s federal legislative staffers on the university’s main campus in Athens in August.
UGAMI scientists have found that the amount of vegetation along the Georgia coast has declined significantly in the last 30 years, spurring concerns about the overall health of marshland ecosystems in the area.
UGAMI’s recent hire will address the Institute’s strategic priority to strengthen educational opportunities for undergraduates.
UGAMI received a National Science Foundation award through the Field Stations and Marine Labs (FSML) program to upgrade the UGAMI seawater system. Completion of the new system, which will support future growth of UGAMI, is anticipated by mid-September.
Visitors include researchers from Creighton University and University of Houston, as well as graduate students and interns, and undergraduates from UGA’s Coastal Summer Semester and Interdisciplinary Field Program.
The cover of the spring 2016 issue of UGA’s Honors Program magazine featured anthropology students students who visited Sapelo Island to learn about its rich history and its salt marsh ecosystem.
UGAMI researchers explain how saltwater intrusion has changed the ecosystem of the historically freshwater areas of the marsh on Sapelo Island.
