The UGA Skidaway Institute of Oceanography is a multidisciplinary research and training institution located on Skidaway Island near Savannah. The Institute was founded in 1968 with a mission to conduct research in all fields of oceanography. In 2013, the institute was merged with the University of Georgia. The campus serves as a gateway to coastal and marine environments for programs throughout the University System. The Institute’s primary goals are to further understanding of marine and environmental processes, conduct leading-edge research on coastal and marine systems, and train tomorrow’s scientists.

Institute scientists conduct basic research across a broad range of subdisciplines, covering not only local economic and environmental issues, but also global processes and phenomena. Skidaway encourages interdisciplinary research among its faculty who collaborate on projects ranging from molecular aspects of biological systems to studies of global-scale climate change.

Research activities are funded by federal and state agencies, dominantly by NSF, NOAA, DOE, EPA, ONR and the Ga. Dept. of Natural Resources, whereas operating funds are appropriated by the Georgia General Assembly. Institute resources include state-of-the-art research laboratories and instrumentation, and the 104-foot Research Vessel Savannah. Institute faculty are members of the Department of Marine Sciences at UGA and serve as mentors and advisors for undergraduate and graduate students from UGA and all over the world.