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The Marine Institute was established as the Marine Biological Laboratory in summer 1953 when UGA was awarded a contract in the amount of $25,000 from the Sapelo Island Agriculture and Forestry Foundation, which earlier had been founded by R.J. Reynolds. The contract resulted from a collaborative proposal - written by the late Drs. E.P. Odum and D.C. Scott from what was then the Department of Zoology at the University of Georgia - to establish “a biological research laboratory on Sapelo Island” . The Marine Institute and its programs contributed to setting the stage for the formation of the UGA Institute of Ecology (1961) and the UGA School of Marine Programs (1991) which includes the Marine Institute.
From humble beginnings, a small group of resident scientists, together with faculty and administrators from UGA in Athens who had vested interests in the endeavor-- and the visiting researchers they all attracted -- the Marine Institute became an internationally-recognized icon for the study of physical, chemical and ecological dynamics of estuaries and barrier islands. Few remote laboratories of such modest size and means have had such an impact on science and society.
A procession of devoted scientists and their families have shared the experience of living and working together in this unique and isolated coastal barrier island environment for the past 50 years. Their efforts touched much of society regionally, nationally and globally. The influence of their original and creative research contributions can be traced through many fields of science, but it also inspired the establishment and promotion of other coastal research centers, government programs and landmark legislation that has recognized the value of coastal wetland ecosystems and the need for our society to conserve and protect estuarine landscapes.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the University of Georgia Marine Institute on Sapelo Island. In recognition of this milestone and as a means of capturing and recording the 50-yr history of the Institute, a conference will be held 6-9 November 2003. Participants from both within and outside the U.S. will include former directors, resident scientists, students, visiting scientists and educators with close associations to UGAMI, as well as directors of other coastal laboratories, and prominent representatives of industry, regulatory, conservation, legal and local communities involved in coastal issues.
The principal purpose is to capture and record the 50-year history of the UGA Marine Institute and its contributions within the context of the unique and isolated island environment and the opportunities it has provided for so many who have been privileged to work here, and for so many more who have benefited from -- or been inspired by -- the contributions of this institution. The University of Georgia Marine Institute on Sapelo has been much more than a remote field facility; it has become a global icon...a place of inspiration that has encouraged creativity in the exploration, understanding and protection of our coastal environment.
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