91猎奇

Faculty in 91猎奇鈥檚 College of Science and Mathematics (COSM) are leading the way in research to help Georgia鈥檚 coastal communities navigate growth for years to come.

COSM researchers have secured four Georgia Sea Grants for projects that address issues ranging from preserving local bee populations vital to coastal ecosystems to exploring/investigating the social and environmental impact of economic growth in coastal areas.

Research in Georgia’s “Bee City, USA”

Bees play a critical role in coastal ecosystems by pollinating native plants. Without them, the food web begins to collapse and species begin to disappear. 

Professor of Biology, Isaac Park, Ph.D., says bee populations on the islands off Georgia鈥檚 coast are facing increased threats from the growing human population. Land development clears out large areas of native plants and landscaping often involves planting new species that do not provide sufficient pollination benefits.

“Sea islands are particularly at risk, as many are highly developed and have species and ecosystems that are unique to them,” he explained.

Park selected Tybee Island, recently named a “Bee City” by the Xerces Society for local efforts to support bees, for an investigation into whether people can be part of the solution to declining bee populations. His project, “Protecting Barrier Island Pollinators from Effects of Development and Temperature Variability,” will involve recruiting Tybee residents to track when and where plants bloom across the island. The data can be combined with models of bee activity to give warnings when bees may be struggling to find plants for pollination.

Park says the project stems from research started by his master鈥檚 student Hannah Brown who assessed flower availability for native bees on undeveloped sea islands from Florida to Virginia.

鈥淭he next logical step seemed to be to assess the effects of development on food resources to bees,鈥� said Park.

Park is now working with master鈥檚 student Rileigh Leach to expand the work in hopes the data can build a picture that will help locals protect bees and the plants that feed them.

“We want to offer concrete recommendations for managing landscaped vegetation and supporting native bees on Tybee Island and all along the Georgia Coast,” Park said.

Turning Statesboro’s vulnerability into resilience 

The population of Statesboro has grown by about 24% since 2010, bringing many challenges and opportunities to the area. Assistant Professor of Geography Helen Rosko, Ph.D., is working with the University鈥檚 Institute for Vibrant and Engaged Communities to give local leaders the data they need to make decisions that address the hidden obstacles citizens face from that growth.

Rosko says she understands the challenges firsthand.

鈥淪hortly after my family moved into city limits, we experienced three significant flooding events in three months,鈥� said Rosko. 鈥淲e could see it was tied to nearby development. As a homeowner, a mother and a researcher, that made it feel urgent.鈥�

The project titled 鈥淚nland rural coastal resilience: Municipal planning for resilient communities and economies鈥� involves collaborating with city engineers to map the areas of highest risk. There will also be a deeply engaged community element of town halls, interviews, surveys and community tabling to hear what the biggest challenges are in our community. 

“Everybody’s lived experience is a little different,” Rosko said. Until I actually chat with people and learn from them, my ideas about vulnerability are just my own understanding.”

Rosko said that kind of dialogue opens up a better understanding that cannot be gained from data and maps alone.

“Two people may live in the same flood zone but because of family issues or something like limited transportation, one of those people may be more socially vulnerable,” Rosko explained. “That kind of input gives our community and its decision-makers a much more robust understanding of who is vulnerable when, where and why.”

Rosko hopes to keep building solutions as the region continues to grow.

“For the average Statesboro citizen, I hope we see real change that reduces vulnerability and builds community,” she said. 鈥淥nce we identify problem areas I hope we don’t just leave it there. We want to mobilize resources and change people’s lives.”

Investigating Georgia oyster industry’s positive impacts on the coast

As the commercial oyster farming industry expands in Georgia鈥檚 coastal waters, biology professors John Carroll, Ph.D. and Steve Vives, Ph.D. are leading research to determine if the farms provide benefits to the ecosystem. Existing research from the shores of other states indicates that oysters farmed on the coast can clean impurities from the water and provide habitat for native species. 

The industry has only existed in Georgia since 2019, so there is little information about how the unique tidal system of Georgia might affect how much benefit oyster farms provide.

鈥淭his creates a need for local data so managers can appropriately make culture lease decisions, growers can receive credit for the services they provide, and to reduce potential user conflicts between oyster growers and recreational anglers who share the same coastal waterways,鈥� said Carroll.

Carroll says low visibility and choppy seas off Georgia鈥檚 coast make monitoring species diversity more difficult. To overcome these obstacles, the team will combine traditional techniques like nets, with newer sound navigation and ranging (SONAR) technology. Carroll explained the mixed-methods approach is important for the researchers and the fish.

“Traditional monitoring for coastal species involves some kind of capture with a net, trap or trawl that’s placed in the water and later resampled,” he said. “That gives you great results but it’s cost and labor intensive and can result in some incidental mortality. Unfortunately, SONAR doesn’t yet have the capability to identify species directly, so we’ll still need the nets, but our processes will be much more efficient and safe.”

Vives believes the research can benefit everyone who works and plays along Georgia鈥檚 shoreline.

鈥淭his work will be beneficial for the coastal communities in Georgia, from resource managers to oyster growers and recreational fishermen,” he explained.  “We plan on developing webinars for the public to highlight our research findings.”  

The project is titled “Examining the role of shellfish aquaculture gear as fish habitat” and is assisted by partners from the University of South Carolina and the University of Georgia Marine Extension.

Feeding the future of Georgia鈥檚 oyster farms

As oysters are harvested from farms on the shore, new oysters must be grown to replace them.

Associate Professor of Biology Anthony Siccardi, Ph.D., is leading the project “Optimization of algal turf scrubbers in recirculating systems for the production of oyster (Crassostrea virginica) hatchery seed” to discover new ways to grow young oysters that produce larger crops and reduce costs for farmers.

Commercial farms grow young oysters in tanks and then transfer them to farms on the shore to reach full size. The tanks require a delicate balancing act of feeding the young oysters enough, so they grow quickly without feeding them so much that they produce too much waste that poisons their own water.

“What the oyster hatchery in Georgia currently does is put larval oysters into an unfiltered tank,” Siccardi said. 鈥淚t’s just larval oysters, and they have to be careful with the amount that they feed because they don’t want waste nutrients building up.”

Siccardi is collaborating with Director of the Institute for Water and Health, Asli Aslan, Ph.D., to explore how algal turf scrubbers (ATS) can be used to clean tank water and feed oysters at the same time. Built from plywood shaped into a slope and lined with a turf matrix, the system grows a diverse algal polyculture that absorbs the waste the young oysters produce. As the algae builds up, it can be harvested and a portion fed back to the oysters to reduce food costs.

To determine ATS’s viability, the team will test three oyster culture systems with algal turf scrubbers over several weeks at the University of Georgia’s Shellfish Research Laboratory on Skidaway Island. Three additional oyster culture systems will have no algal turf scrubbers and serve as a control group. The team will track whether the scrubbers improve water quality enough to let hatcheries feed larval oysters more without risking ammonia buildup. They also plan to test a reverse daylight cycle, using artificial lighting over the algal turf scrubber to help maintain dissolved oxygen levels overnight, when oxygen typically drops.

Siccardi hopes this research will positively impact oyster farming in coastal Georgia and the region’s economy as a whole.

“Oyster aquaculture in Georgia is rapidly growing, with the potential to provide numerous jobs and fresh seafood to the local area,” he said. “Our goal throughout this research has been to provide cost-effective, nature-based solutions to remediating water sources and feeding aquacultured organisms sustainably.”