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Please see individual faculty web pages for
latest peer-reviewed research
articles.
Also see SkIO's Latest Publications webpage.
Only technical publications are listed below.
The GA-SC Coastal Erosion Study is a USGS-funded cooperative project that
seeks to understand the rates, controls and processes
of coastal erosion within the Georgia Bight. Researchers at Skidaway Institute
of Oceanography, Georgia Southern University, University of West Georgia and
Pennsylvania State University collaboratively investigate these issues in a
study region extending from St. Helena Sound, SC to St. Marys Inlet, GA. A
State of Knowledge Report, involving the compilation and synthesis of existing
data to evaluate the level of our understanding of shoreline change, coastal
morphodynamics, shallow stratigraphic framework and geologic resources in the
Georgia Bight, was one part of this larger project. This report documents basic and applied
coastal research and coastal-engineering-related studies, identifies information
gaps and significant deficiencies in our knowledge and prioritizes areas where
opportunities exist for future geologic research pertinent to management of a
dynamic coastal zone.
Back-barrier islands, or small islands between the major barrier islands and
the mainland often termed "hammocks", are geological features that provide
important habitat for plant and bird species, including rare and endangered
wildlife and migratory songbirds. Approximately 1200 of these islands exist
along the Georgia coast, and given the increasing growth along the Georgia coast
in the past decade, they are coming under increasing development pressure.
Literature searches quickly showed that very little scientific information
exists from studies of back-barrier islands to guide coastal managers. This
literature review was conducted to identify research carried out on the major
barrier islands that could be applied to back-barrier island environments.
Population
pressure along the
Georgia coast has greatly increased
the number of docks that extend across the marsh, impacting marsh ecosystems.
To understand the patterns and impacts of dock proliferation, aerial
photography and field data were used within a geographic information system
(GIS) to quantify the number and area of docks and shading impacts by these
docks using 1970 to 2000 data from Wilmington Island,
GA as a case study.
This study provides both baseline and trend data and attempts to
extrapolate them for use by coastal managers.
As population pressure increases along the Georgia coast, coastal managers
require more and better data regarding coastal resources and human impacts to
these resources to carry out their mission, particularly in the expansive and
productive salt marshes. Understanding the impact of private recreational docks
on saltmarsh ecosystems is considered by many to be a critical need, given that
these structures shade the marsh and that their numbers are increasing rapidly
with little understanding of their cumulative effects.
More
Structures associated with private recreational docks (i.e., floating docks
that rest on the bottom at low tide) directly impact estuarine habitat and
productivity. These bottom-impacting structures are commonly found in the
southeastern US, particularly in coastal Georgia and South Carolina, because of
the high tidal range in the region (3 m at spring tide), the strong demand for
water access and generous allowances for structure in the marshlands to
accommodate this desire. This preliminary study documents quantifiable effects
on the benthic environment because of the presence of floating docks, which
result in statistically significant changes in benthic algal production (as
measured by chl a), grain size, organic carbon and benthic macrofaunal
distributions.
Coastal Observatory Research Arrays:
A Framework for Implementation Planning
Report on the CoOP CORA Workshop 12-13 November 2003 Chicago, Illinois
(For full report download both files)
Coastal Ocean Processes and Observatories: Advancing Coastal Research
Report on the CoOP Observatory Science Workshop May 7-9, 2002, Savannah, Georgia
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Skidaway Institute of Oceanography, 10 Ocean Science Circle, Savannah, GA 31411 (912) 598-2400
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