Skidaway Island, Ga. – An afternoon of marine science programs, displays, tours and activities-Skidaway Marine Science Day 2013-will be held on Saturday, Oct. 26, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the campus of the University of Georgia Skidaway Institute of Oceanography located at the north end of Skidaway Island.
Skidaway Marine Science Day is a campus-wide open house with activities for everyone. These will include programs, tours, displays and hands-on activities, primarily related to marine science.
The Skidaway Institute of Oceanography will offer a variety of activities for adults and children, including tours of the Research Vessel Savannah and smaller research vessels, science displays and hands-on science activities.
The UGA Aquarium will be open to visitors with no admission fee. In addition, the aquarium education staff will offer visitors a full afternoon of activities including science talks, a reptile show, crabbing, touch tanks and behind-the-scene tours of the aquarium.
The UGA Shellfish Laboratory will provide visitors with displays and information on marine life on the Georgia Coast. Children will have an opportunity to help protect the marine environment by bagging oyster shells used for oyster reef restoration projects.
The staff of Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary will show visitors how to operate a remotely-operated-vehicle (ROV) in a swimming pool and pick up objects from the bottom.
Skidaway Institute professor Bill Savidge will reprise his very popular talk and tour on the history of Skidaway Island, tracing the Skidaway campus back to its years as a hunting preserve and a cattle plantation.
Along with the campus organizations, Skidaway Marine Science Day will also include displays, demonstrations and activities from a wide range of science, environmental and education groups, such as The Dolphin Project, the Georgia Sea Turtle Center and The Nature Conservancy.
All activities at Skidaway Marine Science Day will be free. For additional information, call 912-598-2325, or visit www.skio.uga.edu