December 13, 2007

State Senator Eric Johnson joined officials from the Skidaway Institute of Oceanography to break ground on the institute’s new laboratory building on Thursday.

The Marine and Coastal Science Research and Instructional Center (MCSRIC) will contain 11,000 square-feet of research laboratories, space for visiting scientists and instructional space for marine science students from throughout the University System of Georgia. The MCSRIC has been designed to be environmentally friendly and is expect to be certified under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System.

The MSRIC will allow Skidaway Institute to expand its research in several areas, including the development of new technologies associated with ocean observation systems; discovering the diversity of species and their interactions in the marine environment: and the assessment of factors affecting the environmental health and integrity of Georgia’s coastal zone.

During the 2006 legislative session the Georgia General Assembly approved a $5 million appropriation for the construction of a new laboratory and instructional building. Governor Sonny Perdue signed the budget package that included the appropriation.

The architects for the MCSRIC are Lord, Aeck & Sargent, Inc.. The construction manager is Choate Construction. Engineering work will be done by Hussey, Gay, Bell & DeYoung International Inc. and Nottingham, Brook & Pennington, Inc.

The building is expected to be completed in the spring of 2009.

The Skidaway Institute is an autonomous research unit of the University System of Georgia located on Skidaway Island. The mission of the Institute is to provide the State of Georgia with a nationally and internationally recognized center of excellence in marine science through research and education.