UGA Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant design applied research, extension and outreach projects to address current issues faced by our coastal communities.
For over four decades, Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant have worked with commercial fishing families and seafood producers to address issues faced by coastal communities. UGA Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant seeks practical, innovative solutions that protect marine resources and sustain local livelihoods.
Our goal is to increase communication and collaboration between fishermen, scientists, managers, conservationists, seafood dealers, regulators and the public. UGA Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant also provide education to ensure seafood safety and aid consumers in making seafood choices that improve their health. These endeavors help raise awareness about Georgia-harvested seafood so all residents reap nutritional and economic benefits from this local resource.
Georgia’s Jellyfish Industry
In 2014, Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant provided funding and extension expertise to researchers at the College of Coastal Georgia and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources for the development and evaluation of a Turtle Excluder Device (TED) that will enable fishermen trawling for cannonball jellyfish to operate more efficiently. Cannonball jellyfish, or jellyballs, is one of the largest seafood commodities by weight in Georgia. Most of the jellyballs caught by Georgia fishermen are exported to Asian markets, where they’re sold in restaurants and grocery stores. As part of the project, extension specialists worked closely with fishermen to design a practical TED for the jellyfish industry that would appease fishermen, state resource managers and biologists.
