University of Georgia Marine Institute on Sapelo Island

The mission of the UGA Marine Institute (UGAMI) is to provide exceptional opportunities for research and university-level education in coastal ecosystems.  Located within the Sapelo Island National Estuarine Research Reserve (SINERR), UGAMI is a living laboratory that offers access to protected barrier island habitats, including salt marshes, beaches, maritime forests, tidal creeks and estuaries. It also serves as the home base for the Georgia Coastal Ecosystems Long-Term Ecological Research Project (GCE). Long-term ecological monitoring data, together with the results from hundreds of previous studies, make UGAMI a world-renowned field destination for scientists and classes.

In addition to a strong record of research, the Institute serves 50-60 groups of university students each year who hail from many institutions across Georgia and beyond. UGAMI-based courses and field trips immerse university students in field-based academic studies, which is often a life-changing experience. The Institute also hosts workshops, professional meetings, and outreach activities.

Scientists, students, and other visitors to UGAMI find a vibrant, supportive community of scholars from multiple institutions and fields of study.

• Logo:
• UN Geographic Region: North America
• Street: University of Georgia Marine Institute on Sapelo Island
• P.O. Box: PO BOX 32
• City: Sapelo Island
• Zip Code: 31327
• Country: United States
• State/Province: GA
• Latitude: 31
• Longitude: 81
• FSML E-mail Address: ugamidir@uga.edu
• FSML Web Address: https://ugami.uga.edu/
• FSML Year Founded: 1953
• Year Join OBFS: 2014
• University affiliation(s)?: Yes
• Names of Universities affiliated / Parent Organization: University of Georgia
• Address Line 1: University of Georgia
• City: Athens
• Zip Code: 30602
• Country: United States
• State: GA
• Contact Name: Nicholas Macias
• Contact Email: nicholas.macias@uga.edu
• Contact Position: Assistant Director
• Contact Phone Number: (912) 485-2221
• Station Director Name: Dr. Merryl Alber
• Station Director Email: ugamidir@uga.edu
• Billing Contact Name: Claire Savage
• Billing Contact Email: cnbridge@uga.edu
• Voting Delegate Email: nicholas.macias@uga.edu
• Operating Budget: $500,001 - $1,000,000
• Size of Field Station: 501-1000
• Federal, state, or local governmental partners?: LTER
• Onsite staff?: Yes
• Year Round Staff: 11-20
• Seasonal Staff: 0
• Overnight housing facilities: 50+
• Conference space: 26-50
• Food service or catering available?: Yes
• ADA accessibility: Yes
• Electricity: On Grid
• Distance to emergency services?: 61+
• Internet Access?: Yes
• Library?: Yes
• Classes: Undergraduate
• Hiking trails?: Yes
• Internships?: Yes
• Biome Type: Marine
• Marine Biomes: Intertidal - salt marsh, pelagic, benthic, abyssal
• Minimum Elevation: 0-100 meters
• Maximum Elevation: 0-100 meters
• Köppen climate classification: C (temperate)
• Freshwater habitats: Yes
• Urban/Rural: Rural
• Dry lab space?: Yes
• Wet Lab space?: Yes
• Research vessels available?: Yes
• GIS capacity on site?: Yes
• Long term data sets?: Yes
• On site herbarium or voucher species?: Yes
• Formal Data Management Plan: Yes
• Outdoor manipulative experiments: Yes
• Research and/or graduate student training: 70
• Formal education: 20
• Outreach: 10