New student-led projects will focus on flooding, ecosystem health and habitat resilience in coastal Georgia

Four University of Georgia and Georgia Southern University graduate students have been selected to lead year-long coastal research projects through the Marine Extension program and Georgia Sea Grant Research Traineeship. As of 2019, 30 students have participated in this program, now in its fifth year, providing undergraduate and graduate students with a unique opportunity to address real-world challenges facing Georgia’s coastal region.

Independent projects must align with one or more of Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant’s four thematic areas: healthy coastal ecosystems, sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, resilient communities and economies, and environmental awareness and workforce development.

Under the guidance of university mentors and in collaboration with Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant specialists, students not only conduct independent research, but also share their discoveries with coastal communities.

“The internship is an invaluable experience for early-career professionals, giving them the opportunity to develop essential project management, communication and problem-solving skills,” says Mark Risse, director of Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant. “By responding to the challenges identified by coastal communities, they are building a strong foundation for their future careers in research, policy and environmental management.”

Jacek Robider She will graduate with a degree in environmental engineering from UGA this fall and will pursue a degree in civil and environmental engineering. His research focuses on developing a hydrodynamic flood model for Glynn County and Brunswick, Georgia, a region that is highly susceptible to flooding due to its low elevation and proximity to the coast.

The model Robider is building will estimate flood depths from storms and overlay them on Brunswick’s communities, infrastructure and Superfund sites to assess potential damage from flooding and contamination. This work is important because it helps identify flood-prone areas, supports planning for resilient infrastructure, and addresses complex environmental hazards such as contaminants from septic tanks and Superfund sites.

Mark Hoog is pursuing a PhD in environmental science from Georgia Southern University. His research focuses on examining the genetic diversity and diversification of American alligators living in the Okefenokee Swamp using genetic markers to identify population structure.

Understanding these genetic patterns is crucial for wildlife management because it helps determine the overall health and resilience of a population. By combining genetic data with demographic information, the study will provide a comprehensive picture of population health, supporting better decision-making for ecosystem management and conservation actions.

Skyler Fox is a graduate student working toward a degree in biology at Georgia Southern University. Examines the impact of human disturbance on restored coastal sand dunes on Tybee Island, Georgia.

Dunes provide key ecosystem services such as storm protection, but are susceptible to damage from heavy foot traffic, even on designated walking paths that cross the dunes and connect parking lots to the beach. Fox collects data on sand and vegetation movement to compare the condition of dunes along footpaths with undisturbed dune areas. The findings will help inform coastal cities on how to minimize human disturbance and effectively protect dune ecosystems.

Zachary Gordon is a master’s student in biology at Georgia Southern University. His research examines the threat of saltwater invasion of Sapelo Island’s freshwater habitats, which is increasing as a result of climate change and coastal development.

A history of modifications to the island’s canals, which were dug to drain swamps for agriculture, have facilitated saltwater to move inland, affecting freshwater wetlands. Gordon will study these channels, as well as the freshwater wetlands that are disconnected from them, using data loggers, leaf decomposition rates and biological assessments to track water movement, habitat functionality and ecosystem health. The findings will be shared with the local community experiencing these challenges in the hope that they will understand how to deal with them.