Sapelo Island National Estuarine Research Reserve
Research, Stewardship, and Education on the Georgia Coast
Situated midway on the Georgia coastline on the eastern fringe of McIntosh County, Sapelo Island is located seven miles north of Darien. The Sapelo Island National Estuarine Research Reserve, which makes up over a third of the island’s 16,500 acres, was established in 1976. Sapelo Island is just one of 27 coastal reserves in The National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS), a network of sites across the country set aside and protected for long-term research, stewardship, and education. Each site operates as a partnership between state agencies and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
The System provides essential habitat for wildlife, offers educational opportunities for students, teachers and the public, and serves as living laboratories for scientists. Sapelo Island NERR is managed by Georgia DNR, Wildlife Resources Division and administered by NOAA. It comprises 6,100 acres of salt marsh, upland forest, and beach habitat.

Education programs provided by the Reserve are very diverse. The mainland Sapelo Island Visitor Center serves as the distribution point for information on the island, coastal systems, and local history. The Reserve offers education programs for the public, special interest groups, school groups (5th-12th grades), teachers, and coastal decision makers. Programs highlight salt marsh (estuarine) and barrier island ecology, current research efforts on the Reserve, and Sapelo's rich cultural history.

The Reserve’s Coastal Training Program is a needs-based education program for area decision-maker audiences. It provides support, training, and current science-based information to professionals who make decisions about coastal management.

Sapelo Island National Estuarine Research Reserve
PO Box 15
Sapelo Island, Georgia 31327
912-485-2251
www.sapelonerr.org
www.sapeloislandnerr-ctp.org