Sapelo Island Visitors Center 1766 Landing Road Southeast Darien GA
The Sapelo Island National Estuarine Research Reserve (SINERR) invites the public to join University of Georgia graduate researcher Annie Paulukonis, at the Sapelo Island Visitors Center on Friday, June 14, at 1:00PM for an informational talk on her research entitled “Ribbiting Research: Using Breeding Frog Calls to Monitor Island Frog Populations and Assess Future Vulnerability”.
The Southeastern U.S. contains the highest number of unique amphibian species in the country; almost 140 species are found here. Georgia’s barrier islands have historically played host to a number of these species, primarily frogs, which play a vital role in island freshwater ecosystems, providing food for larger species and contributing to wetland nutrient cycling. Due to worldwide amphibian declines, these isolated island populations may prove to be important for the future of their species. However, salt-water intrusion may threaten these populations, and make them vulnerable to habitat loss or even potential die-offs.
The presentation is free and open to the public. For directions to the Sapelo Island Visitors Center, please call (912) 437-3224. For more information about the Sapelo Island National Estuarine Research Reserve, please visit www.sapelonerr.org.