Tybee Marine Science Center

Year-round programs for island visitors, scouts, and school groups on the beach, in the marsh, on the water, in the classroom, and the Coastal Gallery. The Tybee Island Marine Science Center’s mission is to shape a responsible stewardship of Coastal Georgia’s natural resources through marine science-based education, conservation, and research.

Brief History
Marine education programs on Tybee Island began in 1987 with beach walks and seining. These classes were offered as an outreach program from the University of Georgia Marine Extension Service. After tremendous response the outreach program merited a location of its own. In May 1988 only a year later the Tybee Island Marine Science Center opened its doors. The initial sponsors of the Center were the City of Tybee Island and the University of Georgia Marine Extension Service. These two groups were joined in 1990 by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration NOAA Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary. The formation of the Tybee Island Marine Science Foundation in 1990 established another major sponsor. Currently the Center is co-sponsored by the Tybee Island Marine Science Foundation the City of Tybee Island and NOAA Gray s Reef National Marine Sanctuary. The Foundation is the primary sponsor and provides fundraising support and a Board of Directors. Volunteers and interns continue to be an integral part of the operation of the Center. Their assistance contributes greatly to the success of the facility.

Walks, Talks & Treks
Walks, Talks & Treks are one-hour long, appropriate for all ages, and cost $10 per person ($9 for members; kids four and under are free).

To reserve space, please call us at 912-786-5917 or stop by the center. We’re open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. We recommend calling to check availability, as tides and weather can impact programming.

Due to limited group size, we ask for payment at the time of registration. Refunds are only provided if we cancel the program due to inclement weather.

Larger group, school, and scout badge programs are available year round and are booked by request. Please call Cody at 912-786-5917 for more information or to book any type of program.

Walks, Talks & Treks Summer Schedule (Memorial Day – Labor Day)

Mondays:

Beach Walk (South) @10:30am
Sift & Seine @ 1:30pm
Marsh Trek @ 3:30pm

Tuesdays:
Beach Walk (South) @ 10:30am
Sift & Seine @ 1:30pm
Beach Walk (North) @ 3:30pm

Wednesdays:
Beach Walk (South) @ 10:30am
Sift & Seine @ 1:30pm
Marsh Trek @ 3:30pm

Thursdays:
Beach Walk (South) @ 10:30am
Sift & Seine @ 1:30pm
Beach Walk (North) @ 3:30pm

Fridays:
Beach Walk (South) @ 10:30am
Sift & Seine @ 1:30pm
Marsh Trek @ 3:30pm

Saturdays:
Beach Walk (South) @ 10:30am
Sift & Seine (weather permitting) @ 1:30pm
Beach Walk (South) @ 3:30pm

Sundays:
Beach Walk (South) @ 10:30am
Sift & Seine (weather permitting) @ 1:30pm
Turtle Talk @ 3:30pm

Beach Walk-North
Join a marine science educator on a guided walk on Tybee’s south or north beach. Learn about the dynamics of the barrier islands of Georgia, the importance of the intertidal zone, the forces behind tides and waves, and sand dune formation.
Identify the wildlife that live in and around the ocean and discuss the impact of marine debris and shoreline development.
North beach walks meet at the north end of the island, near the lighthouse, by the old diving tank in the parking lot across from the North Beach Grill.

Beach Walk-South
Join a marine science educator on a guided walk on Tybee’s south or north beach. Learn about the dynamics of the barrier islands of Georgia, the importance of the intertidal zone, the forces behind tides and waves, and sand dune formation.
Identify the wildlife that live in and around the ocean and discuss the impact of marine debris and shoreline development.
South beach walks meet at the science center.

Coastal Georgia Gallery:
Designed and built by staff, our little gallery overflows with information and exhibits on the flora, fauna, and habitats indigenous to the Georgia coast. Live creatures include; baby alligators, polka-dot batfish, spider crabs, puffers, flounders, clown fish, diamondback terrapins, corn snake, horseshoe crabs, and sea jellies. You’ll meet Ike, our loggerhead sea turtle and official marine debris (trash in the sea) ambassador. Scheduled throughout the day are Animal Feedings and Cart Explorations, mobile mini-programs on Bones, Living Fossils, Whales, Sharks, Sea Turtles, Sea Jellies. We also have a Creature Cam so you can see tiny live Invertebrates up-close. Stick your fingers in our Touch Tank of live marine invertebrates–hermit crabs, snails, sand dollars, and spider crabs, and sea pansies. Open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and general admission is just $4 per person, kids four and under are free.

Jelly Jive:
An interactive presentation of these ancient creatures. The fascinating life-cycle, anatomy, and adaptations of local and worldwide species are discussed. The ecological and economical roles of sea jellies are also examined. Afterwards, participants observe moon jellyfish behavior and feeding, as well as the hatchery process of their food, brine shrimp.

Marsh Trek:
Trek through Georgia’s salt marsh to explore in the mud for fiddler crabs, snails and more. Examine salty grasses, observe soaring marsh birds, and hold periwinkle snails. Learn about adaptations necessary for survival in this environment, how the marsh functions as a nursery for many organisms, a filter for pollutants, and an abundant food source. Please wear closed-toed shoes. Marsh Treks meet off-site, at the Spanish Hammock. Directions are provided at sign-up.

Sift & Seine:
Discover the marine life of the inter-tidal zone through seining. Pull a ten-foot seine net through waist deep water to catch, examine, and release marine life. Commonly caught organisms include pompano, silverside, mullet, sea jellies, and crabs. After seining, we’ll explore the marine life of the sandy bottom by sifting various organisms from the wet sand on the beach.

Shark Jaw:
Dive into the mysterious lives of sharks. Presented through dynamic images and artifacts, discover the complexity of these creatures and learn about the adaptations that allow sharks to thrive for eons. Equipped with the facts, you’ll become a voice for these misunderstood predator. Innovative shark research and conservation is highlighted.

Turtle Talk:
An introduction to the amazing lives of sea turtles. Learn about anatomy and natural adaptations, then stroll on the beach to review nesting habitat, excavate a mock nest, and discuss Tybee’s conservation efforts. Then it’s feeding time for Ike, our loggerhead sea turtle, hatched August 2013 on Tybee, and is the marine debris ambassador for coastal Georgia.

Whale Tale:
Learn about the fascinating, yet precarious, North Atlantic right whale. Journey through the lifecycle of the right whale beginning off the Georgia coast, their calving grounds. Examine whale vertebra and teeth. Discuss threats and conservation efforts. Meet Smoke, a life-size inflatable right whale calf, modeled after the real Smoke, our adopted whale.

Due to limited capacities, we ask for payment at the time of registration. Refunds can only be provided in the case of program cancellation due to inclement weather.

Larger group, school, and scout badge programs are available year round and are booked by request. Please call Cody at 912-786-5917 for more information or to book any type of program.