This October, UGA Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant will celebrate National Seafood Month with a series of events across the Georgia coast, giving residents opportunities to taste local seafood, meet the people behind the industry and learn more about how Georgia seafood is harvested, produced and sustained.
“Seafood Month is a chance to celebrate the seafood industry and the coastal ecosystems that support it,” said Erin Arneson Purvis, seafood specialist at Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant. “We hope to connect people to fresh, local seafood and explore the link between healthy fisheries and the working waterfronts that make Georgia seafood possible.”
The celebration will feature boat tours, cooking demonstrations, volunteer opportunities, dining experiences and restaurant fundraisers.
Event Highlights:
- Intro to Georgia Seafood Webinar | Oct. 1 | Free
Join Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant’s Fisheries Specialist Bryan Fluech for an introductory webinar exploring Georgia’s local seafood scene. Find out how seafood is harvested, how fisheries are managed sustainably, and the many ways Georgians can access and enjoy local seafood.
- Curated Catch: Stories of the Sea Wine Dinner | Oct. 7 | $180
In partnership with Savannah’s Common Thread, this intimate multi-course dinner will feature local seafood, wine pairings, and conversations with seafood specialist, Erin Arneson Purvis and an oyster farmer from Tybee Oyster Company. For every ticket sold, $25 will support the UGA Shellfish Research Lab. Common Thread will generously match the total raised, doubling the impact.
- Georgia Sea Grill Wine Dinner | Oct. 18 | $175
Celebrate National Seafood Month at Georgia Sea Grill on St. Simons Island with an exclusive menu featuring local seafood. Hear from seafood specialists and a local clam farmer. A portion of proceeds will support Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant’s research, education and extension programs that serve the local seafood industry. - Shell Bagging Volunteer Event | Oct. 23 | Free
Volunteers will work alongside staff from the UGA Shellfish Research Lab to bag recycled oyster shells that will be used to create new oyster reefs along the Georgia coast.
- Ocean to Table: Lowcountry Boil | Oct. 29 | $30
During this event at our Brunswick office, participants will gain hands-on experience preparing shrimp, crabs and other seafood before enjoying a live cooking demonstration and tasting of a traditional Lowcountry boil featuring Georgia shrimp.
- Trawl-O-Ween | Oct. 30 | $20
Board the R/V Sea Dawg for a Halloween-themed trawl in Wassaw Sound! Participants will sort and identify species while learning how healthy habitats and water quality sustain the marine food web and seafood we depend on.
Seafood lovers can also support local shellfish aquaculture throughout October by dining out at two coastal restaurants. Sorry Charlie’s Oyster Bar in Savannah will donate 10% of every Bull River oyster order, while The Fish Dock Bar & Grill in Crescent will donate 10% of Georgia oyster and clam sales to benefit Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant’s Shellfish Research Lab on Skidaway Island. Proceeds will support oyster research, aquaculture training and oyster restoration efforts that strengthen Georgia’s coastal economy and the environment.
Additional Seafood Month programs and partner events include free, seafood-themed programs at local libraries. A full schedule with registration links and additional details is available at: https://gacoast.uga.edu/events/category/seafood-month/2026-10/
Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant’s Seafood Month celebration is made possible through partnerships with coastal businesses, educators and community organizations committed to connecting people with Georgia’s coast.
Writer: Emily Kenworthy, ekenworthy@uga.edu
Contact: Erin Arneson Purvis, EMA04430@uga.edu
