The University of Georgia is awarded a grant for the acquisition of an NEC NLITE 6 GHz Microwave Radio system that will handle all communication services between the UGA Marine Institute at Sapelo Island (UGAMI) and the mainland link to telephone and Internet services. This equipment will greatly increase research productivity and learning opportunities for resident and visiting scientists and classes. The UGA Marine Institute supports resident Research Scientists, visiting research programs with affiliated university faculty and NOAA programs, graduate and undergraduate student research, college level educational field programs, and outreach for public education in marine systems. Established in 1953 by UGA and R.J. Reynolds, Jr., the Institute occupies over 100,000 sq. ft. of buildings, the majority of which were formerly part of a farm complex dating to the early 1930's. UGAMI has multiple labs, offices, a 150-seat auditorium, a library, and an indoor salt water wet lab facility with tanks and running seawater. UGAMI also maintains a small fleet of boats for research, and on-island housing for resident and visiting scientists, class groups, and essential staff that include 25 residential units and 2 dormitory-style buildings (45 beds). This award will result in stable, reliable communications and data transfer for all at UGAMI, as well as the face-to-face video collaborations and seminar interactions that are particularly important for research at a remote field station such as UGAMI; a necessity in today's research environment. For further information about UGAMI, see the institute's web page at www.uga.edu/ugami/.
PROJECT SUMMARY With funds from this project, the University of Georgia Marine Institute (UGAMI) has purchased, installed, tested, and put into operation an NEC NLite-E All Indoor microwave radio communication system. With an island location accessible only by boat, this updated data link provides a critical element that ensures reliable and high-speed web access, video conferencing, and data transfer between UGAMI and its partners in Georgia, across the nation and around the world. The new microwave link supports UGAMI’s dual mission of (1) supporting basic scientific knowledge about the physical, biogeochemical, and hydrological environments that characterize and link upland, marsh, and estuarine ecosystems, and (2) providing immersive, integrated post-secondary and public educational opportunities. Together these foster responsible stewardship of Georgia’s coast and address questions about southeastern Atlantic coastal systems in a context of global climate change and increased pressure from human activities. The microwave project has increased capacity for real time, 2-way data exchange and UGAMI is now able to promote new opportunities for research and education. This allows new tools for real-time monitoring, virtual presence, video exchange in lectures and small meetings, as well as on-island research activities that require intensive data transfer such as genomics, high resolution environmental sampling, and remote sensing based initiatives. College classes that annually visit UGAMI, including those serving minority and non-traditional students such as Savannah State University in Savannah, GA and Coastal Georgia Community College in Brunswick, GA, can now use video conferencing and methods requiring high-speed, broad band data exchange as part of their curriculum. The Georgia coast remains sparsely developed, but populations are projected to increase 25 – 71% over the next 30 – 50 years. With this instrumentation, UGAMI can continue its 55+ year mission of fostering responsible stewardship of Georgia’s coast by creating information exchange mechanisms with regulators, managers and policy makers. Access to historical data and problem-specific finding generated through research and education at UGAMI leads to informed environmental decisions and policy.
