National Estuarine Research Reserve System

Reserve Information

Designated

1976

Lead Agency

Georgia Department of Natural Resources
(Visit Site)

Protects

6,110 acres

Located

Seven and half miles northeast of Darien, Georgia

Additional Information

Salt marsh habitats found here support egrets and herons, fiddler crabs, and several species of mollusks. Endangered and threatened species found on Sapelo Island include the Southern bald eagle, peregrine falcons, ospreys, brown pelicans, woodstorks, Wilson's plovers, American Alligators, loggerhead sea turtles, northern right whales, and manatees.

Biogeographic Region

Carolinian

Tidal Range

2.3 meters

About This Reserve

This reserve occupies over one-third of Sapelo Island, the fourth largest Georgia barrier island and one of the most pristine. The reserve comprises 2,110 acres of upland maritime forest and hammock land and 4,000 acres of tidal salt marsh. The upland maritime forest is composed of a mix of native hardwoods. About 90 percent of the reserve's marshland is covered by smooth cordgrass.

The Sapelo Island Reserve is one of 30 areas in the National Estuarine Research Reserve System. This reserve is managed by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and is protected for long-term research, water-quality monitoring, education, and coastal stewardship. The NOAA Office for Coastal Management provides funding, national guidance, and technical assistance.

National Estuarine
Research Reserves

Sapelo Island National Estuarine Research Reserve