Coastal Georgia Colloquium 2015

October 28th and 29th / Savannah, Georgia

The GCRC held its 6th Coastal Colloquium on October 28-29, 2015. The meeting was attended by 58 participants (34 of whom were GCRC affiliates). This included scientists representing academic institutions from across the state (Univ. of Georgia; Savannah State Univ.; Georgia Southern Univ.; Emory Univ.; College of Coastal Georgia; Armstrong State Univ.; Georgia College and State Univ.; Georgia Institute of Technology; Valdosta State Univ.), managers from state (Georgia DNR Coastal Resources; Environmental Protection; Wildlife Management; Georgia Dept. of Public Health; Jekyll Island Authority), and federal (Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary; US Fish and Wildlife Service; US Geological Survey; Sea Grant College Program) agencies, plus DNR project partners working within The Nature Conservancy. Six participants became GCRC affiliates following the meeting.

The centerpiece of the Colloquium was our trademark 3-minute talks in which attendees introduce themselves. Managers were asked to emphasize their research needs; academics were asked to showcase those aspects of their research that are most relevant to management. Three minutes is not long enough to go into detail, but it gives everyone an opportunity to speak and the atmosphere is light. We encouraged follow-up conversations during the frequent coffee breaks. This year’s program also included project reports, a poster session, and a breakout session with three working groups.

Agenda

Presentations from Selected Speakers

Please note: by clicking on a presentation link, you have agreed not to alter, excerpt, or redistribute work without the express permission of the author.

Introduction

Merryl Alber, Department of Marine Sciences, University of Georgia, Athens

Overview of Georgia Coastal Research Council

Program Overviews

Jill Andrews, Program Manager, Georgia Coastal Management Program, GA Department of Natural Resources, Coastal Resources Division, Brunswick

Georgia DNR – Coastal Resources Division

Mark Risse, Director of Marine Outreach Programs, University of Georgia, Athens

Georgia Sea Grant, Marine Extension Service

Shoreline Change Project Report

Christine Hladik, Assistant Professor, Department of Geology and Geography, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro

Statesboro High-resolution mapping of vegetation, elevation, salinity and bathymetry to advance coastal habitat management in Georgia

Coastal Communities Project Reports

Ben Carswell, Director of Conservation, Jekyll Island State Park Authority, Jekyll Island

Jekyll Island marsh fragments: assessing ecological function and health for restoration planning on Jekyll Island

Marc Frischer, Professor, Skidaway Institute of Oceanography, University of Georgia, Savannah

Black gill disease in Georgia shrimp: causes, distribution, and transmission

Dan Gleason, Professor, Department of Biology, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro

Connectivity between the Altamaha River estuary and critical coastal marine habitats

Coastal Resources Project Reports

Kimberly Alexander, Research Coordinator, Applied Wildlife Conservation Lab, Jekyll Island

Wildlife conservation in a developing landscape: interfacing ecological research and science-based public awareness

Warren Kreisel, Associate Professor, Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics, University of Georgia, Athens

Natural hazards, amenities, and land use: a participatory approach for visualizing resilient coastal communities

Kelly Spratt, Local Government Outreach Coordinator, UGA Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant Program, Brunswick

Enhancing Sea Grant’s ability to help coastal communities adapt to climate change: an overview of the St. Marys and Tybee projects

Introductions (3-minute talks)

Clark Alexander, Professor, Skidaway Institute of Oceanography, University of Georgia, Savannah

Kimberly Andrews, Research Coordinator, Applied Wildlife Conservation Lab, Jekyll Island

John Carroll, Assistant Professor, Department of Biology, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro

Julia Diaz, Assistant Professor, Skidaway Institute of Oceanography, University of Georgia, Savannah

Sonny Emmert, Coastal Resources Specialist, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Coastal Resources Division, Brunswick

Sarah Fangman, Superintendent, Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary, Savannah

Fred Hay, Sapelo Island Research Manager, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildllife Resources Division

Heather Joesting, Assistant Professor, Department of Biology, Armstrong State University, Savannah

Jan Mackinnon, Biologist, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Coastal Resources Division, Brunswick

Holly Nance, Professor, Department of Natural Sciences, College of Coastal Georgia, Brunswick

Carol Pride, Professor, Marine and Environmental Sciences Department, Savannah State University, Savannah

Joan Sheldon, Research Professional, Georgia Coastal Research Council, University of Georgia, Athens

Katy Smith, Water Quality Program Coordinator, University of Georgia Marine Extension Service/Georgia Sea Grant, Brunswick

Eric Spears, Associate Professor, Department of History and Geography, Georgia College and State University, Milledgeville