Two recent graduates have been selected to work with state agencies and nongovernment organizations over the next year through the UGA Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant State Fellowship. This program places recent graduate students in host offices, offering them hands-on experience in resource management, public outreach, strategic planning, and policy implementation. 

“By partnering with agencies on the coast, we’re able to create valuable learning experiences and foster the professional development of future coastal leaders,” said Mark Risse, director of Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant. 

Now in its sixth year, the fellowship, open to both in-state and out-of-state graduate students, has already supported 18 early career professionals. 

The 2024-25 fellows will work with the Jekyll Island Authority and The Nature Conservancy – Georgia.  

Daniel Harris completed his undergraduate studies in geology and zoology from the National University of Ireland, Galway. He went on to pursue a Ph.D. in ecology from UGA where he studied the interaction between Georgia’s salt marshes and oyster reefs along the coast. Harris will be working with The Nature Conservancy – Georgia. At The Nature Conservancy, Harris will be collaborating with underserved communities, aquaculture professionals, academics, and resource managers to develop a Georgia Oyster Resiliency and Management Plan for the state. 

“I am thrilled to have the opportunity to speak with Georgians, making connections between people’s lives, healthy oyster habitat and how a management plan could help. It is these conversations that are shaping and guiding the development of the Georgia Oyster Resiliency and Management Plan,” said Harris.

Justin Sanclemente received his bachelor’s in zoology from West Liberty University, West Virginia, where he studied aquatic snakes. He went on to pursue his master’s from Georgia Southern University. There, he studied the evolutionary cause of color polymorphisms in the Florida scrub lizard. As a fellow with Jekyll Island Authority, Sanclemente will help track eastern diamondback rattlesnakes using radio telemetry to obtain valuable data on their ecology and life history as part of a long-term study on the island.  

“I aspire to get into the field of wildlife conservation, education, and research, and working on Jekyll is giving me amazing experiences in those areas to prepare me for my career,” said Sanclemente.

Five artists from the Georgia cities of Savannah, Augusta, Kennesaw, Athens and St. Simons have launched projects that explore Georgia’s coastal culture and natural resources through UGA Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant’s Artists, Writers, and Scholars program.  

This program supports Georgia artists in creating professional-quality art and literature that raises awareness of the state’s marine environments, deepens understanding of its coastal communities and documents the history, culture, and heritage of Georgia’s coast.   

This marks the fourth year of the program, which has supported 14 projects, 10 of which were featured earlier this year in the “Waves of Wonder” exhibition at the Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum in Savannah. 

“The impact of this program has been remarkable, reaching a wide range of audiences and growing every year,” said Mona Behl, associate director of Georgia Sea Grant. “The projects have not only brought greater visibility to Georgia’s coastal ecosystems and cultural heritage but also created meaningful connections between art and science. We are excited to continue supporting artists who can inspire even more awareness and appreciation for our coastal resources.”  

This year’s projects will use a variety of art forms—including photography, film, mixed media, non-traditional techniques, and illustration—to highlight cultural connections to native plants, the challenges facing maritime forests, the history of coastal management protection, and the ecological role of oysters. 

The 2024 grant recipients include:  

Teake Zuidema, who has worked as a freelance photographer and journalist for the last 30 years, covering travel, technology, science and culture for magazines, newspapers and websites in the U.S. and Europe. In 2021, he moved to Savannah. Impressed by the beautiful coastal landscapes, he began to develop himself as a landscape photographer. From the start, he focused on trees at locations where the maritime forest is under stress because of the proximity of the sea, the beach, the marshes or civilization.  

Photograph by Teake Zuidema taken at Skidaway Island State Park.

His project, “Living on the Edge, Trees along the Georgia Coast,” will focus on trees that are dead, dying or under severe stress due to factors like erosion, saltwater intrusion, infrastructure build up, storms, pollution, dredging and sea level rise. The images are meant to evoke wonder, concerns and questions, leaving viewers with a strong impression of the fragility of the marine forests and the coast in general. The project will result in an exhibition in September 2025 at the main gallery of Arts Southeast in Savannah. 

Sam Ghioto

Sam Ghioto, a St. Simons Island native, owns Sam Ghioto Studio, a photography and videography business. He earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the College of Coastal Georgia and began his business during his final semester. His love for Georgia’s coastal landscapes and passion for visual storytelling have shaped his career, with a focus on showcasing the natural beauty and culture of the region. His collaborator, Andrew Bellacomo is a writer and director originally from Albany, Georgia, now based in Athens. With over 10 years of experience in video production, he has a deep connection to Georgia’s coastal landscape, having spent much of his life visiting the region with his family. His favorite projects often focus on environmental and historical themes, reflecting his personal passion for storytelling and his love of Georgia’s natural beauty and heritage. 

Andrew Bellacomo

Ghioto and Ballacomo’s project, “A Thousand Rivulets Run,” is a documentary film that explores the conservation of Georgia’s salt marshes, inspired by the Coastal Marshlands Protection Act. Through poetic and visually compelling imagery, the film traces the history of how Georgia’s marshes were saved from destruction in the 1970s and continues to examine current efforts to protect them. The documentary highlights the ecological, economic, and cultural importance of these marshes, from providing nutrients for seafood and protecting against storms to supporting the livelihoods of local residents. Ghioto and Bellacomo want to engage viewers with the unique beauty and significance of this ecosystem, hoping to inspire broader appreciation and conservation efforts. 

Mya Timmons speaking on a panel.

Mya Timmons, is from Townsend, Georgia. She is a freelance illustrator specializing in character design and a secretary for her family’s fourth-generation seafood business, Harris Neck Seafood. Timmons is a descendant of the Harris Neck Gullah Geechee community. In 2022, she created “The Gullah Geechee Plant Guide Coloring Book” as part of Elizabeth King’s Sea Grant-funded project, which focuses on conserving culturally significant plants in Georgia’s coastal ecosystems. Through her work on this project, she discovered a deep connection to her Gullah Geechee heritage, which now inspires much of her artistic work. 

Timmon’s project, “Gullah Geechee Plants & Culture Personified: Illustrations of the Past for the Future,” will involve creating a new coloring book with illustrated characters designed to educate others on the Gullah Geechee’s cultural ties to water-life. It will feature facts about Georgia’s coastal ecosystems as well as Gullah Geechee-rooted stories and beliefs. She hopes to deepen appreciation for Gullah Geechee culture while inspiring others to use their artistic talents to educate and celebrate their own heritage.

“Wild Georgia Oyster”, painting by Droppleman.

Beth Droppleman is a painter and sculptor living in Augusta. Formerly a French professor, she is currently a student of fine arts at Augusta University. Her debut as an artist was many years ago in Paris, as a student, where she sold paintings on the Pont des arts. After being drawn to their unique weathered and worn beauty, Droppleman began making oyster shell portraits in 2016.  

Piece by Beth Droppleman titled, “Oyster Armor”.

Droppleman’s project, “The Mighty Oyster,” features seven large oyster portraits, an oyster armor sculpture, and oyster ceramics that highlight the oyster’s critical role as a keystone species in Georgia’s salt marshes. Using mixed media and non-traditional techniques, her artwork mimics the natural growth and formation of oyster shells, drawing parallels to the ecology of the coast. The oyster armor, crafted from castaway shells and designed like medieval scale armor, emphasizes the individuality of each oyster while underscoring their collective strength—symbolizing the power of community and interconnectedness. The project is designed to evoke a sense of awe and appreciation for both the beauty and cultural significance of oysters, encouraging viewers to support the conservation of Georgia’s coastal ecosystems while fostering a deeper understanding of social justice and the importance of community.  

Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant is excited to announce Georgia Tech student Spenser Wipperfurth as the 2025 finalist for the National Sea Grant College Program’s John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship.

This year-long prestigious fellowship matches current and recent graduate students with hosts in the legislative and executive branches of government. Since 1979, the Knauss Fellowship has supported more than 1,680 early career professionals who have significantly contributed to environmental policy and management and built lasting careers.

2025 Knauss finalist Spenser Wipperfurth.

Wipperfurth received her master’s degree in water resources engineering and an MBA from Georgia Tech, where she studied coastal processes, resilience, ecosystem damage mitigation and community response to climate change. She has a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

This past summer, Wipperfurth served as a summer scholar with the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy program. The experience allowed her to apply science and policy in addressing ocean energy and shipping regulations on the U.S. East Coast with Department of Energy officials and policymakers

She also has five years of experience working as a water resources engineer, which helped shape her understanding of how water is modeled and managed by relevant authorities. She now hopes to apply her knowledge and experience by focusing on the future of resource management, opportunities for innovation, and how to best support coastal communities.

“I have spent most of my life and collected most of my important memories on or near the water, on the rivers and lakes of the Midwest, the waterfalls of Peru, and now the Georgia coast. As a community member, I consider safe access and generational protections of water resources for myself and my neighbors as a critical part of building and maintaining healthy and hopeful lives. Since most humans live near coastlines, protecting, understanding and managing those coastlines are critical for protecting their residents. The Knauss Fellowship will give me a space to dream with those already working on these solutions and help me to further develop a network of mentors and peers to work alongside and learn from.”

Wipperfurth will join a cohort of 88 early career professionals from 70 universities, representing all eligible Sea Grant programs. Knauss Fellowship finalists are chosen through a competitive process that includes several rounds of review at both the state Sea Grant program and national levels. Students finishing Master’s, Juris Doctor (J.D.), and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees with a focus or interest in marine and coastal science, policy or management apply to their state’s Sea Grant programs. If applicants are successful at the state level, their applications are then forwarded to a national panel of experts who select the finalists.

This fall, the finalists will participate in a placement week to get to know each other and interview with several executive offices to determine where they will spend their fellowship, which begins in February 2025.

See the Georgia coast anew in Waves of Wonder, Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum’s new exhibition, which opens on Wednesday, June 5, with a cocktail party at 5:30 p.m. The party is free and open to the public. The exhibition showcases a variety of inspiring works funded by UGA Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant’s Artists, Writers, and Scholars (AWS) Program.  

Visitors to Waves of Wonder will embark on a journey of discovery where art serves as a bridge connecting humanity to the enchanting world of Georgia’s coast. Captivating and evocative imagery portrays the essence of Georgia’s coast with vibrant colors and sounds, and intricate interpretations. Whether through the brushstroke of a painting, the graceful movement of a dancer, or documentation of Black maritime history, these artists and scholars invite viewers to pause, reflect, and marvel at our region’s natural wonders. 

A Family Day event featuring artist demonstrations and activities will take place on Saturday, June 29, from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.  

Josh Stutz, “Loggerhead Sea Turtle and Hatchling”, Watercolor

“I’m really excited about the opportunity to collaborate with Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant in this celebration of Georgia’s coastal culture and natural environments,” said Molly Taylor, executive director of Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum. “Waves of Wonder is a beautiful blending of art and science and is a must-see program for anyone living on or visiting Georgia’s coast, especially children and families.” 

Waves of Wonder features the work of current AWS grant recipients Autumn Eckman, Peter Van Zandt Lane, Jennifer Nolan, and Josh Stutz, as well as previous award-winners Kip Bradley, Julie de Chantal and Kurt Knoerl, Alan Harvey, Barbara Mann, Dana Montlack, and Casey Schachner. Many of these awardees collaborated with coastal scientists and students in creating their final projects. 

 “The artists and scholars featured in Waves of Wonder have created amazing, awe-inspiring interpretations about scientific and cultural ideas related to our region,” said Tania Sammons, curator of Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum. “Displayed together their individual subjects magnify their coastal messages and are at once visually compelling and thought-provoking.”  

The works featured in Waves of Wonder encompass a diverse range of disciplines, including painting, sculpture, photography, illustration, sound, film, and dance. Each project offers a fresh perspective on the intricate relationships that define coastal life, from the interconnectedness of animal communities to the profound connections between humans and the natural world.  

Barbara Mann, “Plankton, Doliolid”, Copper, sterling silver, brass.

Mark Risse, director of UGA Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant, expresses his enthusiasm for the program’s growth and impact. “The Artist, Writers, and Scholars program has flourished over the past two years, fostering meaningful collaborations between the art community and coastal advocates,” says Risse. “Through Waves of Wonder and similar outreach efforts, we aim to engage audiences in critical coastal issues while celebrating the creativity inspired by our marine environments.” 

Admission to the exhibit is included with general museum admission. For more information, please visit https://www.shipsofthesea.org/. 

To learn more about the Artists, Writers and Scholars program, visit https://gacoast.uga.edu/research/funding/aws-program/ 

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Media Contact: Emily Kenworthy
ekenworthy@uga.edu
c: 336.466.1520

About Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum 

Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum was founded in 1966. The museum exhibits ship models, paintings, and maritime antiques, and interprets the rich story of Savannah’s illustrious maritime history. Ships of the Sea is housed in the William Scarbrough House, built in 1819, and is home to the largest private gardens in Savannah’s historic district. Many consider Ships of the Sea to be one of the best maritime museums in the country. Visit the website at https://www.shipsofthesea.org/. 

Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum’s telephone for general inquiries is 912.232.1511.
The museum’s address is 41 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., Savannah, GA 31401. 

Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant is investing $743,437 in five new research projects that address environmental and economic challenges and advance coastal science in Georgia.  

Projects range from looking at the impacts of seaweed diversification on aquaculture production, to quantifying the compound risks of coastal inundation and contamination in Glynn County, to studying neonicotinoid presence in coastal waters and impacts on oyster populations.  

The 2024-2026 research projects are part of Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant’s request for proposals process, which occurs every two years to address research priorities identified in the program’s strategic plan.  

The projects are designed to improve understanding, management, and wise use of Georgia’s coastal and marine ecosystems. Experts conduct research in close collaboration with on-the-ground extension agents, community partners, educators and decision-makers.    

“I am pleased with this selection of projects as they address some critical topics identified in our strategic plan, including exploring sustainable aquaculture practices, engaging under-resourced communities in resilience efforts, and studying blue carbon,” said Mark Risse, director of Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant. “These projects will have substantial impacts in coastal Georgia.”   

The projects include:  

• Leveraging sediment properties to enhance blue carbon storage in beneficial use restoration projects
  Amanda Spivak, University of Georgia  
• Assessing the economic impact of compound risks in underserved communities: A Glynn County, GA, Case Study
  Susana Ferreira, University of Georgia 
• Exploring the potential for aquaculture product diversification with macroalgae
  John Carroll, Georgia Southern University 
• Neonicotinoid presence in coastal waters and potential impacts on the Eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica
  Risa Cohen, Georgia Southern University 
• A Sanctuary in Sound: Increasing Accessibility to Gray’s Reef Data through Auditory Displays
  Jessica Roberts, Georgia Tech 

Information about Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant research topics, funding and current opportunities can be found at https://gacoast.uga.edu/current-projects/ 

Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant is managed through a unique partnership between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the University of Georgia that unites the resources of the federal government, the state of Georgia and universities across the state to create knowledge, tools, products and services that benefit the economy, the environment and the citizens of Georgia. The program’s mission is to improve the environmental, social and economic health of the Georgia coast through research, education and extension.  

University of Georgia alumna Gabriella Bliss Giordano has been awarded the John A. Knauss Marine Policy fellowship for 2024. Sponsored by the National Sea Grant College Program, the year-long fellowship matches current and recent graduate students with hosts in the legislative and executive branches of government. 

Giordano will spend one year working as a communications and engagement fellow in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Center for Satellite Applications and Research (STAR). STAR uses innovative science and applications to transform satellite observations of the earth into meaningful information essential to society’s evolving environmental, security and economic decision-making. She will work with STAR’s communications team to incorporate outreach, user engagement and the scientific community to spread awareness of the center’s work. 

Knauss finalists are chosen through a competitive process that includes comprehensive review at both the state Sea Grant program and national levels. Giordano is among 85 finalists selected from a competitive pool of nominees representing 30 of the 34 Sea Grant programs in the coastal and Great Lakes states and territories.  

Gabriella Giordano, 2024 Knauss fellow.

“I hope the Knauss Fellowship will help guide me to further develop my career goals,” said Giordano. “I know I want to blend my science background with community education and engagement. Policy is just one tool to do that with and may open doors to launch my career.”  

Giordano received her master’s degree in marine science from UGA in 2023. Her graduate thesis explored the influence of salinity-driven plant community changes in Satilla River marshes on the characteristics of soil carbon. She holds a bachelor’s degree in environmental science and geography from Villanova University.  

UGA Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant is currently accepting applications for the 2025 Knauss fellowship. For information on applying, please visit https://gacoast.uga.edu/knauss-fellowship/  

Four college graduates will work with state, federal and non-governmental agencies over the next year as part of the UGA Marine Extension Georgia Sea Grant State Fellowship. The fellowship places recent graduate students in host offices where they gain hands-on experience in resource management, outreach, planning and policy implementation.

“We’re excited to collaborate with partners to facilitate these learning opportunities and nurture the professional growth and development of the next generation of leaders on the coast,” said Mark Risse, director of UGA Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant.

This is the fifth year that Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant has offered the state fellowship, which is open to in and out-of-state graduate students. So far, 16 students have participated in the program.

The 2023-24 state fellows will work with the following partners: Georgia Conservancy, NOAA Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary, The Nature Conservancy – Georgia, and Sapelo Island National Estuarine Research Reserve and Sapelo Island Cultural and Revitalization Society.

Nia Burnett has a bachelor’s in environmental studies from Allegheny College. She is currently completing her master’s in marine science at Savannah State University, where she is studying environmental toxicology, namely microplastics in benthic environments and how marine invertebrates interact with them. As a fellow working with Sapelo Island National Estuarine Research Reserve and Sapelo Island Cultural and Revitalization Society, she will be developing recommendations for flood mitigation on Sapelo Island, home of the Hog Hammock Gullah Geechee community. These recommendations will be created with the idea of enhancing the resilience of the community to climate change and sea level rise.

“My career goals are to figure out a way to combine my love for, and experiences in, education and outreach with STEM, research, and community engagement. I truly want people to feel like they have all of the knowledge and power to make informed environmental decisions about their communities. With this fellowship, I hope to gain the experience that can give me a blueprint to move forward with,” Burnett said.

Daniel Harris completed his undergraduate studies in geology and zoology from the National University of Ireland, Galway. He went on to pursue a Ph.D. in ecology from UGA where he studied the interaction between Georgia’s salt marshes and oyster reefs along the coast. Harris will be working with The Nature Conservancy – Georgia. At The Nature Conservancy, Harris will be collaborating with underserved communities, aquaculture professionals, academics, and resource managers to develop an Integrated Oyster Resiliency Plan for the state of Georgia.

“I love oysters! For an invertebrate, oysters are amazing little ambassadors of resilient coastal ecosystems. I am excited about this fellowship, as it is a great opportunity to collaborate with a diverse group of stakeholders towards the common goal of promoting and protecting these amazing organisms,” Harris said.

Kathy Liu completed her undergraduate degree at Scripps College in Claremont, California, before pursuing a master’s from the Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science in Miami, Florida. As part of her graduate degree, she studied bonnethead shark head morphology, sexual dimorphism and diet. As a fellow with Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary, Liu will help to advance the scientific research, policy, and planning projects of the sanctuary. She will also support outreach, education and internship programs.

“This fellowship allows me the opportunity to continue exploring my interests in marine science while being able to translate the work done by the sanctuary to the public. I am passionate about conducting research on marine organisms and ecosystems and the fellowship will give me the opportunity to learn about the connectivity of Georgia’s ecosystems and see the long-term monitoring work done by Gray’s Reef,” Liu said.

Monét Murphy graduated from Savannah State University with a bachelor’s in marine science and environmental science. As part of her undergrad, she studied benthic foraminifera in the Savannah River Estuary, which are tiny, single-celled organisms that can serve as bioindicators of environmental conditions in marine environments. Murphy is currently pursuing her master’s in marine science at Savannah State University. As a fellow with the Georgia Conservancy, Murphy will work with partners and regional stakeholders to advance the South Atlantic Salt Marsh Initiative (SASMI) in Georgia. SASMI is a multi-state coalition working to conserve the 1 million acres of salt marsh in the South Atlantic region. Murphy will also support efforts to raise awareness among recreational boaters about threats to North American right whales.

“My dedication to environmental justice drives my enthusiasm to engage in research, conservation, and restoration efforts that ensure equitable access to the benefits of a thriving ecosystem, particularly for marginalized communities. I am eager to contribute to the development of a sustainable and diversified local economy, responsible urban planning, and community engagement strategies that foster a deeper connection between residents and the coastal environment,” Murphy said.

Four artists based in Savannah, Athens, and Kennesaw will soon launch new projects exploring Georgia’s coastal culture and natural resources through art as part of UGA Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant’s Artists, Writers and Scholars program, which launched in 2021.

The program supports Georgia artists to create professional-quality art and literature that increases awareness of Georgia’s marine environments, improves understanding of Georgia’s coastal communities, and helps document history, culture or heritage of Georgia’s coast.

“The Artist, Writers and Scholars program has expanded significantly in terms of reach since its inception two years ago,” says Mark Risse, director of UGA Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant. “We’ve hosted two art exhibitions at our aquarium facility in the last year, and many of our collaborators have been featured in art shows across the state. We’re excited to cultivate these new partnerships with the art community and involve audiences in important coastal issues using creative disciplines.”

This year’s cohort includes artists who specialize in painting, illustration, music and dance. Their projects will use various art forms to highlight relationships within animal communities as well as relationships between humans and the natural world.

The 2023 grant recipients include:

A sample of work by Eckman, Reframe (2020), explores the lines between extroversion and introversion, public and private isolation – lines that artists everywhere were facing during the time of Covid-19.

Autumn Eckman, an assistant professor of dance at Kennesaw State University. Prior to KSU, she served as an assistant professor at the University of Arizona and as an instructor at Northern Illinois University. Her background includes creating concert dance pieces and dance films inspired by environmental issues, including glacial deterioration and forest fire destruction due to wildfires on protected land. As part of her project, Eckman will bring awareness to the environmental challenges along the Georgia coast through movement film and storytelling. She will create a dance piece that explores environmental awareness as an element of survival through themes related to the effects of human activities on the environment, including climate change, pollution and habitat destruction.

“I hope audiences take away ways in which the arts can illuminate the importance of environmental responsibility and build awareness of the beautiful and sacred treasures that exist within and along the Georgia Coast,” Eckman said.

An example of a large ensemble piece by Lane, UNT Wind Symphony (2017)

Peter Van Zandt Lane is an associate professor at UGA, where he teaches composition and electronic music. He also directs the Roger and Phyllis Dancz Center for New Music, a hub for experimental music, recording arts, and electronic music and acoustic research at UGA. For his project, he will compose a piece for a large ensemble that incorporates data sonification and live electronics, drawing on data from Georgia Coastal Ecosystems Long Term Ecological Research site based at the UGA Marine Institute on Sapelo Island. The piece will incorporate composition and data sonification to explore concepts of ecological thresholds and resiliency in the face of environmental disturbances.

“I hope that this project brings together people who love classical music and people who care about the Georgia coastal environment. I believe music is a powerful means to reflect on the issues of our time,” Lane said.

A sample of work by Nolan, a red-bellied woodpecker.

Jennifer Nolan graduated from the Savannah College of Art and Design in 1999 with a bachelor’s degree in illustration. Animals have always been the subject of her paintings, which have been exhibited in Georgia and abroad. Currently her paintings are represented in galleries in Savannah, including Reynolds Square Fine Art and others. Nolan will be creating five large paintings that highlight moments, situations and emotions that are common to humans but revealed in nature. Her pieces will showcase relationships in the natural world that depict human elements, enabling audiences to better empathize and understand the parallels between human and animal communities.

“My desire is that these paintings will reach past socioeconomic, age, sex and racial differences. I specifically want to remind those who have forgotten or who never had known how precious our coastline is and why it needs to be appreciated. In this process I hope to bring joy, wonder, comfort and beauty to viewers,” Nolan said.

A sample of work by Stutz, an American alligator.

Josh Stutz studied at Kendall College of Art and Design in Grand Rapids, Michigan, earning his bachelor’s in illustration in 2020 before moving to Savannah in 2021. As someone who loves the outdoors, he developed a strong interest in natural science illustration and the role illustration can play in educational material. Stutz’s project will involve ilustrating endangered and threatened species in coastal Georgia to be featured in a book that describes the threats they face and explains how the health of the coast is connected to the health of the planet.

“I want people to acknowledge the impact we as humans have had on our coast, maybe learn about a new species they haven’t heard of, and feel empowered to do what they can to help keep them around,” Stutz said.

Dive into the mesmerizing world of marine science and metal artistry with Athens-based artist Barbara Mann’s latest exhibition, “Forging Connections: Metal Art Inspired by the Marine Carbon Cycle,” on display at the UGA Marine Education Center and Aquarium on Skidaway Island from Aug. 23 – Oct. 16, 2023.

Mann has been working with metal and jewelry for more than 45 years. Her fascination with marine processes, like the carbon cycle, and the role of marine life within these processes is serving as the inspiration for her latest collection funded by UGA Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant’s Artists, Writers and Scholars program. The program supports projects designed to produce professional-quality art and literature that increases awareness of Georgia’s marine environments, improves understanding of Georgia’s coastal communities, and helps document history, culture, or heritage of Georgia’s coast.

Artist Barbara Mann gives a talk about her work at a recent Evening @ Skidaway event.

As part of her project, Mann created several pieces representing the plankton community, the marine carbon cycle and oyster growth and development, including four wall pieces, two necklaces, and two vases made of copper, brass, silver, iron and other materials.

Mann’s collection draws inspiration from the plankton research conducted by UGA Skidaway Institute of Oceanography faculty, as well as oyster research conducted at Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant’s UGA Shellfish Research Lab.

View the exhibition when you visit the UGA Aquarium, which is open Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. More information is available at gacoast.uga.edu/aquarium.

A selection of Mann’s pieces on display at the UGA Marine Education Center and Aquarium.

UGA Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant partnered with the S.C. Sea Grant Consortium, the UGA Carl Vinson Institute of Government, and the UGA School of Law to host the Blue Carbon Law Symposium in May 2023 in Athens, Georgia. It was the first symposium in the U.S. where a cross-disciplinary audience was convened to address blue carbon topics, setting the stage for future partnerships and actions to promote blue carbon investment and conservation.

Around 140 guests attended the hybrid event, which brought together lawyers, scientists, researchers, policymakers, and community and business leaders to share knowledge and strategies for protecting and enhancing coastal blue carbon ecosystems in the U.S.

Blue carbon is the term for carbon captured by ocean and coastal ecosystems. Coastal habitats, including mangroves, salt marshes and seagrasses, capture and store atmospheric carbon but when degraded or destroyed, these ecosystems can emit carbon.

Preserving these habitats allows them to continue sequestering carbon while also providing a wealth of other benefits to coastal ecosystems and communities, including improving water quality, supporting healthy coastal fisheries, and protecting properties from floods and storms.

The symposium provided a space for legal and policy discussion of climate law and carbon markets. Researchers presented on the state of blue carbon science and community leaders highlighted the need for intentional and equitable engagement with stakeholders in the development blue carbon projects. Notable guest speakers included Jocelyn D’Ambrosio, Senior Counsel at the White House Council on Environmental Quality, and Sarah Kapnick, Chief Scientist at NOAA, who identified national initiatives in blue carbon research and investment.

A joint reception with the Georgia Climate Conference featured a special address by Queen Quet, Chieftess of the Gullah/Geechee Nation, and an exhibit by Barbara Mann, an awardee of Georgia Sea Grant’s Artists, Writers and Scholars program whose artwork focuses on the marine carbon cycle.

Partners involved in the symposium hope to continue and expand the Southeast’s involvement in blue carbon projects and are exploring next steps and opportunities to reconvene for future events.

Primary funding for the symposium was provided by the National Sea Grant Law Center with additional sponsorships provided by Wicker and Brammell, LLC., First Horizon Bank, and The Nature Conservancy. Learn more at www.scseagrant.org/blue-carbon-law-symposium/.