The University of Georgia Marine Education Center and Aquarium is an education facility and teaching Aquarium on Skidaway Island in Savannah. Managed by the University of Georgia, the UGA Education Center includes an auditorium, an art and computer lab and two teaching laboratories, as well as an array of educational exhibits. The building also houses a dormitory and dining room to house and feed out-of-town groups who visit the facility as part of the marine program.
The mission of the University of Georgia Marine Education Center and Aquarium is to inspire and encourage an appreciation and deeper understanding of Georgia’s many coastal marine environments and to foster respect for the beauty and complexity of these unique marine environments.
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UGA Aquarium
Georgia's first saltwater aquarium, the UGA Aquarium is a modern, state-of-the-art teaching aquarium that features 16 large exhibit tanks that display over 50 species of Georgia's marine life, including a touch tank with invertebrates such as crabs and snails, fish, and turtles. The Upper Level of the Aquarium features fossils of whales, sharks, giant armadillos, mastodons and wooly mammoths that were dredged out from the bottom of the nearby the Skidaway River. The exhibits also house Native American artifacts dating back to Georgia's prehistoric ‘Guale’ era.
More About the Aquarium
The UGA Aquarium features a new underwater camera system that allows both visitors and researchers to observe the behavior of the aquarium’s marine animals, capture underwater imagery and record underwater activities for educational and research purposes. The UGA Aquarium is also part of the Caretta Research Project, which rescue and rehabilitates loggerhead turtles and release them back into nature.
The UGA Aquarium is connected to the Skidaway River by an ADA-accessible boardwalk which runs over the surrounding salt marsh and winds through the maritime forest. The boardwalk provides excellent opportunities for wildlife observation and quiet reflection. Picnic tables line the bluff along the Skidaway River and provide perfect spots for a relaxing lunch. The UGA Aquarium also owns a 43-foot converted lobster boat called R/V Sea Dawg that can be used for small cruises for educational purposes.
Other Activities
In addition to its award-winning aquarium and research facility, The University of Georgia Marine Education Center and Aquarium offers visitors an array of other activities to explore and enjoy. Activities at the UGA Aquarium include special lectures or presentations, treasure hunts, marine debris games and salt marsh cleanups, community outreach programs, and national festivals for marine awareness, such as National Estuary Day.
The facility is home to the Jay Wolf Nature Trail, which was established in 1990 and is currently maintained by the center and a local Boy Scout Group. The Trail features several geocache sites and kiosks along the trail that provide information on the trails and other points of interest in the area. The Skidaway Interpretive Cabin offers an array of interesting information on the natural history of the area, the people who settled there, and the education activities of campus partners.
The Skidaway Learning Garden provides an opportunity for visitors to learn about the fauna and flora native to the coastal regions of Georgia with a variety of examples from around the region. Garden activities include a Garden Challenge, an Alphabet and Number Search and a Naturalist Journal. The Skidaway Learning Garden is also an excellent site for watching birds and attracts all types including waders, waterfowl, and songbirds.
Education
The University of Georgia Marine Education Center and Aquarium offers a variety of educational programs for visitors of all ages, ranging from summer camps and internships to the laboratory and field studies.
Summer Marine Science Camps provide informal, team-oriented field experiences that emphasize coastal ecology and marine science, while at the same time nurturing the curiosity and creativity of each child.
Visitor Information
The University of Georgia Marine Education Center and Aquarium is located at 30 Ocean Science Circle in Savannah, Georgia and is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm and 9:00 am to 5:00 pm on Saturdays.
Public programs offered by the UGA Aquarium provide the opportunity for visitors of all ages to get involved in marine science and include Estuary Trawls, Island Exploration, Dolphin Observations, Marine Debris Surveys, Shore Birding by Water, Catch of the Day, Behind-the-Scenes Aquarium Tour, and Coastal Bird Hikes.
30 Ocean Science Circle, Savannah, Georgia 31411, Phone: 912-598-2496
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