The State of the Georgia Coast is a conference dedicated to the future of our coast.
Hosted by UGA Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant and partners, this three-day event will take place September 22 – 24, 2026 at the Richmond Hill City Center. The conference brings together coastal residents, community leaders, and industry professionals with leading experts in marine science, policy, and resource management. Our collective mission is to identify pressing challenges, share innovative research and solutions, and foster collaborative partnerships essential for building a thriving, resilient coast.
Organized around the theme, “Partnerships and Problem Solving for Georgia’s Coast,” the event will spotlight Georgia-specific case studies, build partnerships across public, private, and academic sectors, and engage participants in interactive conversations designed to foster collaboration.
The Conference At A Glance
Day 1
The conference opens with a welcome session and updates from local leaders on the state of Georgia’s coast followed by a keynote highlighting coastal Georgia’s leadership and opportunities in coastal resilience. Afternoon discussions will focus on roadmaps to resiliency. The evening features a poster session and networking reception hosted by Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant.
Day 2
Participants will begin the day with breakfast roundtables on coalition building, career development, and other coastal topics. Morning sessions will showcase research on fisheries, aquaculture, coastal tourism, coastal ecosystems, community resilience, and environmental literacy, followed by a panel on navigating the intersection of industry, economy, and environment on Georgia’s Coast. In the afternoon, attendees will choose one of four facilitated discussions on pressing topics for coastal Georgia as well as a panel discussion on the complexities of water management in coastal Georgia. The evening will offer a special screening of Sam Ghioto’s latest documentary, A Thousand Rivulets Run: A Portrait of the Georgia Coast.
Day 3
The final day highlights the future of Georgia’s growing coastal communities through a panel featuring local and state leaders. The conference closes with coastal collaboration competition pitches, a keynote address, awards, and a call to action for continued collaboration.
Questions about the event? Contact Brooke Carney at Brooke.Carney@uga.edu
Registration
Cost: $200 | Student Rate: $60
A limited number of student scholarships are available to cover the cost of attendance.
For more information on how to apply, please contact Brooke Carney at Brooke.Carney@uga.edu
Call For Abstracts
Submissions (oral or poster) are welcome for original research, synthesis, or case studies relevant to coastal Georgia and the following Focus Areas:
- Healthy Coastal Ecosystems: Research on habitat restoration, biodiversity, water quality, watershed management, and understanding ecosystem services.
- Resilient Communities and Economies: Studies on coastal hazards, climate adaptation, community planning, sustainable tourism, fisheries, working waterfronts, and economic diversification.
- Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture: Work related to stock assessments, aquaculture development, seafood safety, fisheries management, and the social and economic dimensions of fishing communities.
- Environmental Literacy and Workforce Development: Initiatives in K-12 and adult education, stakeholder engagement, professional training, and building a diverse coastal workforce.
Oral presentations are limited to 12 minutes, plus 2–3 minutes for Q&A.
Deadline for submissions: August 3, 2026
Coastal Collaboration Pitch Competition
Join the Coastal Collaboration Pitch Competition to win one of three $10,000 awards from UGA Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant for collaborative projects addressing coastal Georgia’s sustainability, resilience, and blue economy challenges. Eligible non-profits, educational institutions, and government agencies are invited to submit an abstract and pitch their innovative solutions live on the final day of the State of the Georgia Coast conference.
Deadline for submissions: Noon on September 23, 2026
INFORMATIONAL WEBINARS
Interested in pitching? Join us for an upcoming informational webinar to ask questions and learn more about the application process:
TUESDAY, JULY 28 | NOON
(Join via Zoom)
FRIDAY, AUGUST 7 | 11 A.M.
(Join via Zoom)
Venue and Accommodations
The State of the Coast will take place at the Richmond Hill City Center. Lodging will be available at group rates at the hotels below.
Guests are responsible for making their hotel reservations and paying for their own room, tax, and incidental charges.
The room block will cut off on September 2, 2026
Click here to learn more about sponsorship opportunities.
Questions? Please contact Kathryn Reeves at kathryn.reeves25@uga.edu or call 706-542-8882.