The mission of the Skidaway Institute of Oceanography is to develop and maintain a center for excellence in marine research and to provide support for programs within the University System of Georgia. While SkIO does not offer degrees, the Institute's faculty and staff have developed cooperative research and educational programs with other units of the University System and with other research and educational institutions in the US and worldwide. Faculty do teach a summer course on Coastal Oceanography and Marine Field Methods for advanced undergraduate and graduate students and the Institute's distance learning facility is used to deliver courses to Georgia Institute of Technology and Georgia Southern University. In addition, research experience for undergraduate (REU) students is available to Savannah State University and Armstrong Atlantic State University.

The primary component of faculty-student interaction is via faculty serving as members of graduate student's advisory committees or as the major thesis advisor. Most SkIO faculty have adjunct appointments with several Georgia and out-of-state universities. Typically, graduate students complete their formal classroom instruction at their degree-granting institution, spending their summers or off-semesters in residence at SkIO conducting research. Once course work has been completed, students usually complete their research as full-time residents of SkIO. Research stipends are available through grants and contracts of individual faculty members. A housing unit is available to accommodate out-of-town students and visiting scientists.