Summer Camps
Looking for kid-friendly, hands-on, feet-in marine science? You’ve found it!
Registration Information
Registration is now OPEN for 2020 camps!
All session fees are due in full at the time of registration. Registrants will need the camper’s first and last name, date of birth and t-shirt size, as well as the parent or guardian’s full name, email and phone number (work, home and cell if available).
We do not allow campers to attend more than one camp session.
Questions? Contact Anne Lindsay at lindsaya@uga.edu or 912-598-2355.
The UGA Marine Education Center and Aquarium has been providing science day camps every summer since 1993. Our camps allow kids to grow up learning about the Georgia Coast. Our Summer Marine Science Camp (SMSC) sessions emphasize marine science and coastal ecology while nurturing the curiosity and stewardship potential in each child.
We offer informal, team oriented, memorable camp experiences that balance detailed study with exploration. Each SMSC session is tailored to meet the learning stages and styles of kids ages 6-15.
Low student to staff ratios ensure personal attention and mentoring for your camper. Summer camp staff includes UGA marine education faculty, Georgia Sea Grant marine education fellows and summer interns. Camp sessions are high energy, chock full and lots of fun!
Do sessions change from one year to the next?
Although we swap new activities for old ones each year, the backbone of each session of Summer Marine Science Camp is a collection of explorations in the coastal outdoors. Field and lab activities vary slightly each year. We tailor key concepts in marine science and coastal ecology to camper academic level and attention spans.
Pre-Camp Information
UGA Marine Extension staff will complete registration on the screened-in porch behind the cafeteria. Balances will be paid online with a credit card prior to your camper’s start date. Staff will be on the porch 30 minutes before your child’s session is scheduled to start each day.There will be no supervision provided for children dropped off before this time. If your child must miss a day of camp, please let us know as soon as possible.
Sea Squirts – Age 6
What is a Sea Squirt? Find out in this camp designed to introduce very young scientists to the animals and habitats of Georgia’s coast. With activities appropriate for this curious and excitable age, Sea Squirts will discover the wonders of salt marshes, estuaries and the maritime forest. They’ll spend time visiting the Marine Education Center and Aquarium’s touch tanks and aquarium. Indoor nature craft activities balance outdoor games and exploration.
Session runs Monday – Friday from 8:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Lunch, snacks, t-shirt, arts/crafts materials, and lots of individual attention included.
5:1 instructional ratio
Limited to 30 participants
July 27-31, 2020
$250 per camper
Sea Camp – Ages 7-8
This session offers just the right mix of hands-on field experiences, outdoor games and introductory labs for this active age. Campers will explore salt marsh, maritime forest and sandy beaches on Skidaway and Tybee Islands, and they will fish with a cane pole at the DNR Fish Hatchery.
Sea Camp sessions run Monday – Friday from 8:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. Lunch, snacks, t-shirt, arts/crafts materials and field trip transportation included.
5:1 instructional ratio
Limited to 30 participants per session
Session I: June 1-5, 2020
Session II: July 6-10, 2020
$290 per camper
Salty Dawgs – Ages 9-10
Salty Dawgs offers in depth study of coastal waters and includes field, lab and boat experiences. We’ll study fresh, brackish and marine water communities in the field using water quality testing and standard sampling equipment. Highlights of the week will include a trip to Tybee Island and a trawling trip aboard the R/V Sea Dawg.
Salty Dawgs sessions run Monday – Friday from 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Lab fees, lunch, snacks, t-shirt and field trip transportation included.
5:1 instructional ratio. Limit 30 participants per session.
Session I: June 8-12, 2020
Session II: July 13-17, 2020
$340 per camper
Birds of a Feather – Ages 11-12
Calling all emerging ornithologists! Learn some of the tools scientists use to study birds and identify a few of the iconic species that call the Georgia coast home. Participants will explore the incredible diversity of coastal birds in this fun filled, feather brained session for emerging ornithologists. Avian adaptations, identification, acoustics and migration are topics that will be investigated. Campers will keep a bird journal, visit a wild barrier island and monitor bluebird nest boxes. They will learn about common backyard birds, appreciate the wide variety of sounds birds can make and how noise can affect them.
Birds of a Feather runs Monday-Friday from 8:30 am – 3:30 pm. Lab fees, lunch, snacks, t-shirt and field transportation included in registration.
5:1 instructional ratio
Limited to 30 participants
June 15-19, 2020
$310 per camper
Coastal Guardians – Ages 11-12
During this exploratory week, participants will learn from professional scientists the ways in which we investigate our coastal environment. Students will gain in-depth understandings of local habitats through data collection aboard the R/V Sea Dawg, a trip to the barrier island Wassaw National Wildlife Refuge, and kayaking along the Skidaway River. Participants of this camp will be immersed in the techniques of scientific observation and data collection, and will become lifelong stewards of our coastal environments.
Coastal Guardians runs Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Lab fees, lunch, snacks, t-shirt and field transportation included in registration fee.
5:1 instructional ratio
Limited to 30 participants
July 20-24, 2020
$390 per camper
Fisheries Robotics – Ages 13-15
Fisheries Robotics is an opportunity for students to learn alongside research scientists, fisheries managers, and oceanographers about underwater gliders and gliding robotic fish used to track fish and survey their habitats. The week’s activities will focus on how scientists can use sound to track fish and other animals, understand their physical environment, and interpret their activities. Through daily robotics sessions, students will learn and practice basic electronics skills to construct and test miniaturized gliders. Other highlights include learning about current acoustic telemetry research at Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary, deploying hydrophones to capture and analyze natural underwater soundscapes, and strategizing ways that robots can automate the decision-making in data collection.
Fisheries Robotics runs Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Lab fees, lunch, snacks, t-shirt and field transportation included in registration fee.
5:1 instructional ratio
Limited to 20 participants
June 22-26, 2020
$310 per camper