Welcome to the Georgia Coastal Ecosystems LTER

The Georgia Coastal Ecosystems Long Term Ecological Research site (GCE) was established by the National Science Foundation in 2000. The study domain encompasses three adjacent sounds (Altamaha, Doboy, Sapelo) on the coast of Georgia, U.S.A., and includes upland (mainland, barrier islands, marsh hammocks), intertidal (fresh, brackish and salt marsh) and submerged (river, estuary, continental shelf) habitats.

GCE LTER researchers seek to understand how these ecosystems function, how they change over time, and how they might be affected by future changes in climate and human activities. We accomplish this by tracking the major factors that can cause long-term change in coastal areas (e.g. sea level, rainfall, upstream development), and measuring the effects of these factors on the study site. We also use a combination of remote sensing, modeling, and focused studies, including large-scale experiments, to assess how key marsh habitats will respond to major changes expected in the future.

Since the GCE-LTER program began in 2000, our research has contributed significantly to understanding patterns and processes that shape estuarine and marsh environments. The highlights of our work can be found here:

• Research Overview


• Key Findings


• Signature Publications


• Signature Datasets

Program Information

The GCE field site is based at the University of Georgia Marine Institute on Sapelo Island, and the program is administered at the University of Georgia Department of Marine Sciences in Athens, Georgia. Individuals from multiple academic institutions and agencies are currently involved in GCE research and educational programs. The GCE Information Management System provides online access to hundreds of core data sets, ancillary data sets from partner agencies, a searchable document and imagery archive, and a searchable bibliography of over 50 years of research on the Georgia coast and Sapelo Island.

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The GCE-LTER program is committed to sustaining and enhancing diversity, equity, and inclusion within our ranks. Diversity includes, but is not limited to, groups defined by race, nationality, ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation, language, religion, disability and/or health status, gender identity/expression, veteran status, geographic origins, and socio-economic status. The GCE Site embraces diversity in all forms, with a vision of creating an inclusive environment where all persons of the GCE-LTER community are respected. For more information, see our Diversity plan and DEI implementation plan.