Back in April, when I (and the rest of Rhode Island) had had just about enough of the brutal winter weather, I jumped at the chance to attend a work conference in Savannah, Georgia. Because my office deals with research vessels, most of our meetings are in beautiful coastal locations. I had been eager to visit Savannah again ever since Jeff and I were only able to stop there for about an hour on a road trip through the south a few years ago.

Though much of the meeting was held inside the relaxed and cozy buildings of the Skidaway Institute of Oceanography, I was delighted to discover a small aquarium on the island that I could visit on a lunch break.

The University of Georgia’s Marine Education Center and Aquarium is small but has educational facilities and laboratory space to hosts tourists as well as visiting scientists, teachers, and school groups.

The entrance features a beautiful garden of native plants that serves as an example of sustainable landscaping. Unfortunately I didn’t have time to experience it, but there is also a nature trail in front of the building that features a boardwalk built over the salt marsh and a giant, centuries old oak tree.

Small aquariums like this are always so fun to visit because they often showcase the unique marine fauna nearby and also serve as an important facility for getting people involved in the issues facing their local marine environment.