On May 17, 2026, the University of Georgia was selected by NOAA Fisheries to lead a three‑year salt‑marsh restoration effort stretching from North Carolina to Florida.
The award, worth $8 million, came after NOAA sifted through nearly 350 proposals and chose 16 projects that promise the most scalable solutions for the South Atlantic coast.
UGA Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant spearheaded the bid through the South Atlantic Salt Marsh Initiative, a coalition that now boasts over 300 partners from academia, industry, and local governments.
The study will test whether dredged sediment—material removed from navigation channels—can be recycled on site to lift marsh elevation and bolster native vegetation.
Four candidate locations—Bird‑Long Island, Georgia; Cape Lookout, North Carolina; Cape Romain, South Carolina; and Julia’s Island, Florida—will receive custom engineering designs that could ultimately bring 326 acres back to life.
If successful, the blueprint will be handed to state agencies in 2028, allowing a coordinated roll‑out that protects communities and restores critical nursery habitats for fish, while a local fisherman in Cape Romain watches his nets grow fuller.