Since Decemeber 2003, Donna McDowell has overseen the Age and Growth Laboratory at CRD. In her career, she's analyzed tens of thousands of fish ear-bones, called "otoliths." By examining the samples under a microscope, McDowell can count the rings in the bones and determine the fish's age, much like counting tree rings. 

    Cameron Brinton deals with some heavy stuff in his job -- literally. 
    As a marine biologist with the Habitat Enhancement and Restoration Unit of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources' Coastal Resources Division, he helps with the upkeep and creation of artificial reefs off Georgia's coast. Part of his job is to find post-industrial materials like concrete culverts and massive pieces of metal that can be used for fish habitats. 

Join us for a Brownbag Lunch and Learn Series

When: Jan. 7, 2019, 12 p.m. 

Where: Susan Shipman Environmental Learning Center - Northeast corner of the parking lot

This months topic: Tidal Reach in the Savannah River

Join us for a Brownbag Lunch and Learn Series

When: July 11, 2018 12:00 PM

Where: Susan Shipman Environmental Learning Center - Northeast corner of the parking lot.

Please feel free to bring your lunch and join us!

This months topic: Are Anglers and Fishing Guides Satisfied with CRD's Management of Marine Fisheries?

Join us for a Brownbag Lunch and Learn Series

When: June 19, 2018 12:00 PM

Where: Susan Shipman Environmental Learning Center - Northeast corner of the parking lot.

Please feel free to bring your lunch and join us!

This months topic: Quantifying the effects of white pox disease and bleaching in elkhorn coral in the Florida Keys from 1994-2014

Dr. Carolyn Belcher is the next Marine Fisheries Chief for the Coastal Resources Division.  Dr. Belcher has been with the state since 1996, serving first with CRD, then with the UGA Marine Extension Service, returning to CRD in 2006 where she has served as a Program Manager for Research and Surveys.  Most recently she has been Acting Chief but the position becomes permanent on May 1, 2018.

Join us for a Brownbag Lunch and Learn Series

When: May 24, 2018 12:00 PM

Where: Susan Shipman Environmental Learning Center - Northeast corner of the parking lot.

Please feel free to bring your lunch and join us!

This months topic: What is a Salt Marsh Worth to You?

Coastal Resources Division Director Doug Haymans recently announced the selection of Karl Burgess as the Division’s first Assistant Director. Karl has been with CRD since 2002, serving first as associate permit coordinator, then coordinator, and since 2007 the Program Manager for the Marsh and Shore Management Program (MSMP).   “Karl is a proven team leader and critical thinker with a vast expanse of experience dealing with constituents at all levels,” commented Haymans.  

By: Ryan Harrell

When you think of fishing in coastal Georgia, the two species that most often come to mind are spotted seatrout and red drum. Locals and tourists alike flock to the sounds, abundant marshes, meandering tidal creeks, and coastal rivers to try and “hook up” with one or both of these species. Understanding the importance of the two most targeted fish along Georgia’s coast, CRD staff began the Marine Sportfish Population Health Survey (MSPHS) in 2003 to collect timely and relevant data on the abundance and habitat preferences of these fish as well as other recreationally valuable inshore/nearshore fish species. This survey allows biologists to monitor trends in sportfish populations over time. All fish collected in this survey are identified, measured, and released.

Join us for a Brownbag Lunch and Learn Series

When: April 2, 2018 12:00 PM

Where: Susan Shipman Environmental Learning Center - Northeast corner of the parking lot.

Please feel free to bring your lunch and join us!

This months topic: Alternative Fuels and Energy Efficiency: Where Will Georgia Go?

Join us for a Brownbag Lunch and Learn Series

When: February 27, 2018 12:00 PM

Where: Susan Shipman Environmental Learning Center - Northeast corner of the parking lot.

Please feel free to bring your lunch and join us!

This months topic: Black Gill in the Southeast Shrimp Fishery

When General Oglethorpe and his colonists landed in Georgia, they found an abundance of wildlife unlike anything they had ever seen. Flocks of passenger pigeons blackened the sky, the forests resounded with the sounds of ivory-billed woodpeckers, and the shorelines of Georgia’s tidal waterways were covered with living oyster reefs. We know the fate of the passenger pigeons and ivory-billed woodpeckers, but fortunately, oysters have endured to modern times albeit in much lower abundance due to disease, loss of habitat and overharvest. Today, efforts are underway to rebuild Georgia’s oyster populations to historic levels.

The Coastal Resources Division (CRD) of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources has created a new offshore reef site in partnership with the Savannah Sport Fishing Club. Artificial Reef BSF is located four nautical miles southeast of Little Tybee Island in an area 30 feet deep at high tide.

At the DNR Board meeting held on St. Simons this past Friday, Dominic was awarded the Patriot Award, which is given by the Department of Defense through the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Program.

Georgia’s territorial waters will re-open to commercial and recreational shellfish harvest effective 6:00 A.M., Saturday, September 30, 2017. GA DNR Commissioner Mark Williams closed shellfish harvest in state waters September 9th in anticipation of the expected impact from Hurricane Irma and in the interest of protecting public health.

The U.S. Secretary of Commerce has approved a request by NOAA Fisheries to allow limited harvest of red snapper in the federal waters of the South Atlantic. Anglers can harvest red snapper during the following two weekends: November 3-5 and November 10-12. Each angler is allowed one red snapper per day with no size restriction. 

Since late December water temperatures in Georgia estuaries have been below average and in early January inland water temperatures dropped below 44 degrees – a critical level for some marine organisms.  The Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and many anglers are concerned about the status of species that support the state's valuable recreational saltwater fishing activities including spotted seatrout. 

Commissioner Mark Williams has announced that Georgia's food shrimp harvest season will be extended until 6:15 p.m. on Monday, January 15, 2018. Commercial food shrimp trawlers may continue to operate in waters eastward of the sound-beach boundary currently open to power-drawn trawls. Commercial and recreational cast netters, as well as persons using a beach seine, can harvest food shrimp from waters open to the use of these gears.