Director of the Skidaway Institute of Oceanography discusses Georgia salt marsh protections

Clark Alexander, a professor of marine sciences and the director of the Skidaway Institute of Oceanography, was recently quoted in a WABE story about the protection of Georgia’s salt marsh and why that’s important for the future.

Sea levels on the Georgia coast are getting a little higher every year, Alexander said.

“We have data for the last 80 years that shows us that sea levels have been steadily increasing,” he said.

However, Alexander explained that this doesn’t mean Georgia’s marshes will end up submerged in water. When the tides get higher, the plants in the salt marsh move up.

“Our marshes are able to migrate into the uplands,” Alexander said.