Research Areas and Locations

We undertake research in many diverse locations around the world. Our research along the coastal areas of Georgia includes the Georgia Coastal Ecosystems Long Term Ecological Research Project (GCE-LTER) and the Sapelo Island Microbial Carbon Observatory (SIMCO). Our research also takes us as far afield as the Arctic and Southern Oceans, the Equatorial Atlantic and Pacific and many places in between. 

Research Areas in UGA Marine Sciences

Physical Oceanography

Physical oceanography uses the laws of physics to study the structure and dynamics of ocean circulation and water properties, water mass formation, waves, tides, turbulence, and other physical phenomena. We study diverse systems such as hydrothermal vent plumes, estuaries, and the Gulf Stream and...

Microbial Ecology

Microbes play many vital roles in the oceans. They are crucial in the transformation and cycling of elements such as carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur; they are fundamental components of marine food webs, and although small, their activities affect global biogeochemical cycles and help...

Geological Oceanography

Geological oceanography is the study of sediments and rocks within the marine environment. Faculty in UGA Marine Sciences study paleoceanography and examine processes affecting the sediments and stratigraphy of coastal environments and the continental margin and how these processes affect...

Climate Change

The oceans play a crucial role in the regulation of Earth’s climate. Faculty in UGA Marine Sciences study how changes to the Earth’s climate affects the oceans as well as how the oceans affect the climate of the planet. These studies take place across the globe, from the Arctic to the...

Chemical Oceanography

Chemical oceanography encompasses the study of the chemical components of the oceans, their reactions, and their pathways of transformation. We study both organic and inorganic compounds, particulate and dissolved material, and the ocean sediments. The pathways that compounds follow affect the...

Biological Oceanography

Biological oceanography is the study of processes affecting the abundance, production, and variability of life in the oceans. At UGA we study some of the smallest organisms in the ocean such as bacteria, phytoplankton, and zooplankton. Although they are small, these organisms collectively have a...

Biogeochemistry

Biogeochemistry examines the role of biological processes in mediating the chemical and geological dynamics of the Earth’s atmosphere, hydrosphere and lithosphere. It is an inherently interdisciplinary science and UGA Marine Sciences faculty are actively involved in areas of biogeochemical...