Georgia Coastal Research Council: A Forum for Scientists and Managers

Proceedings of the 2003 Georgia Water Resources Conference, held April 23-24, 2003, at the University of Georgia.The Georgia Coastal Research Council is a newly-formed organization established to provide mechanisms for improved scientific exchange between coastal scientists and decision makers in the State of Georgia and to promote the incorporation of best available scientific information into State and local resource management. The Council is not a policy organization, but rather seeks to provide unbiased, objective information about scientific issues through informal consultation and the development of white papers and management tools. In September 2002, the Council hosted the first Coastal Georgia Colloquium, which was attended by coastal scientists representing many of the Universities in the State as well as scientists and managers from both federal and state agencies. As of November 2002, coastal scientists from throughout the State have started meeting on a regular basis with representatives from the Coastal Resources Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. This ongoing partnership among coastal scientists and managers may be a useful model for other water resource efforts in Georgia