UGA Coastal Ecology Lab

10/14/2026

Happy !

The Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) is a common year-round resident throughout Georgia, found in hardwood forests, pine woodlands, swamps, parks, and even suburban neighborhoods with mature trees. Although its name suggests otherwise, the reddish tint on its belly is usually faint; the bright red crown and nape are much more noticeable. Males have red extending from their bill to the back of the neck (photos 1 & 3), while females have red on the back of the head with a gray forehead and crown (photo 4).

Red-bellied Woodpeckers use their strong bills to excavate nest cavities and search for insects beneath bark, but they’re also opportunistic feeders that eat fruits, nuts, seeds, and occasionally small lizards or tree frogs. Their long, sticky tongue can extend well beyond the tip of the bill, allowing them to reach insects hidden deep in tree crevices. Like other woodpeckers, they have stiff tail feathers that act as a brace while climbing tree trunks and drumming (photo 1).

Both parents care for their chicks, usually nesting in tree cavities and continuing to feed them for several weeks after they leave the nest while the young birds develop their foraging skills (photo 5). Their abandoned nest cavities provide shelter for many other wildlife species, making them an important part of Georgia’s forest ecosystems.

📸: Indigo Glaze (1)

10/14/2026

Seafood Tip Tuesday: Don't sleep on the freezer aisle! ❄️

Seafood is often frozen shortly after being harvested, which locks in peak quality, flavor, and nutrition. In fact, frozen seafood can actually be fresher than "fresh" seafood that has spent days traveling in transport to get to your store counter.

10/13/2026

There's still time to register for our inaugural Okefenokee Symposium. Join us for the presentations on Friday and field trips on Saturday. Hope to see you there!

📚 The Inaugural Biennial Okefenokee Science Symposium is just around the corner!

🐊 Join the College of Coastal Georgia Environmental Science Department for an academic symposium and field excursions focused on the beautiful Okefenokee wetlands. Everyone is welcome!

Here are the key details:
October 16, 2026- Symposium held at College of Coastal Georgia, College 1 Drive, Brunswick, GA 31520
October 17, 2026- Field Excursions held at Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, 4155 Suwannee Canal Road, Folkston, GA 31537

🔍 Lear more about the Symposium here: https://www.ccga.edu/biennial-okefenokee-science-symposium/

10/11/2026

🚨 🚨 Not every dung beetle is plain brown, rolling a ball across the ground! Some have brilliant metallic colors that look almost too flashy for a beetle. Meet the rainbow scarab beetle (Phanaeus vindex)!

Found throughout the eastern United States, rainbow scarabs are members of the scarab beetle family and are true dung beetles. Their bodies can display striking metallic greens, blues, reds, bronze, and golden reflections. Males also have a distinctive horn that curves backward over the thorax, while females lack the large horn.

However, their beautiful appearance isn't the most interesting thing about them. Rainbow scarabs spend much of their lives working with dung. Adults locate a dung pile and dig tunnels directly into the soil beneath it. They then move portions of the dung underground, where it becomes both food and a nursery for their offspring.

The female forms a portion of dung into a special brood ball and lays an egg on it. After the egg hatches, the grub remains inside of the brood ball and feeds on the dung as it develops. This gives the young beetle a ready-made food supply while protecting it underground.

Rainbow scarabs are also incredibly useful members of the ecosystem. By burying dung, they help recycle nutrients back into the soil, improve soil structure, and remove animals' waste from the surface. Their tunneling also moves organic material belowground where it can be used by other organisms and plants.

Their relationship with dung can even influence where they live. Rainbow scarabs can inhabit a wide variety of environments and soils, and their activity is influenced by factors such as temperature and rainfall. In Georgia, adults have been observed with flight activity peaking during the afternoon, with some additional activity in the evening.

So next time you see a pile of dung in a field, there may be one of Georgia's most colorful beetles working underneath!

📷Rainbow Scarab Beetle: by iNaturalist user "lichenrock”
(https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/266434816)

📷Rainbow Scarab Beetle: by iNaturalist user "mattkim500”
(https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/309600170)

📷Rainbow Scarab Beetle: by iNaturalist user "textileranger”
(https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/84263720)

10/10/2026

Hello everyone and welcome back for another 🐍!

If someone gets bitten by a venomous snake, they need to go to the hospital to be treated and sometimes must be administered antivenom to save their life. Some animals around the world, however, have adapted to being bitten by venomous snakes and can survive even the worst-case scenario. Here in North America, we have one special animal that can tank venom and keep on going, and that animal just so happens to be the Virginia Opossum (Didelphis virginiana).

After several studies were conducted in which the Virginia Opossum was dosed with venom from a number of snake species, it was found that they are resistant to some but not all snake venoms. However, some of the species included on the list was the Eastern Diamondback, Copperhead, and Cottonmouth, which are some of the more common venomous species found in our state of Georgia. Now you may be wondering how they are able to survive lethal amounts of venom. This comes from a unique adaptation in the protein compound of their blood called LTNF (Lethal Toxin Neutralizing Factor). Once in the bloodstream, the venom gets bombarded by LTNF and neutralized to be processed out of the bloodstream. Effectively, this allows for opossums to feed on venomous species as a food source.

This is yet another prime example of nature adapting and working to survive with the resources it has!



📷Photo by: rlm51 (https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/406148854)

10/09/2026

Happy ! And Happy National Seafood Month!

Mantis shrimp have one of the fastest limb movements in the animal kingdom. Mantis shrimp hunt by either punching or spearing; the western mantis shrimp (Squilla empusa) that can be found off the coast of Georgia are spearers. They attack and spear their prey at 4-6 m/s (4- 16 mph). This is significantly slower than their punching cousin, the peacock mantis shrimp, which can punch up to 23 meters/second (50mph). Their claws move so fast that it actually produces a shock wave, heat, and light. These punches aren't just fast; they are also incredibly powerful, generating a force of up to 1500 newtons. This is strong enough to break crab shells, clams, and even aquarium glass.

Pictured below are the West Atlantic mantis shrimp (left) and the peacock mantis shrimp right.

Photo Credit: West Atlantic mantis shrimp
mmsorensen
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/66549885

Photo Credit: Peacock mantis shrimp
laiet17
https://www.inaturalist.org/people/laiet17

10/08/2026

Are you a strategic storyteller passionate about coastal communities, marine research, and environmental stewardship? We're looking for a Communications Director to join our leadership team!

In this role, you’ll oversee internal and external communication strategies, lead a creative team of professionals and student interns, and elevate the impact of our research, education, and outreach efforts across the state.

Can be located in Savannah, Brunswick, or Athens, GA. Apply by November 1, 2026 for full consideration: https://gacoast.uga.edu/careers/

10/07/2026

Happy and happy fall! Have you noticed more moths around your porch lights lately? Our field researchers have spotted several incredible species over the past month, and while the adults are beautiful, their caterpillars have some equally impressive survival strategies!

Photo 1: Tersa Sphinx Moth (Xylophanes tersa) - Tersa sphinx caterpillars can change color as they grow, and their large “eye spots” help make them look more like a small snake than an easy meal for predators.

Photo 2: Curved-lined Owlet (Phyprosopus callitrichoides) - The caterpillars of this species blend in remarkably well with dead leaves, making them difficult for hungry birds to spot on the forest floor.

Photo 3: Dimorphic Gray Moth (Tornos scolopacinaria) - These inchworms move by looping their bodies and often hold themselves stiff like a twig, using both behavior and camouflage to blend into surrounding vegetation.

Photo 4: Imperial Moth (Eacles imperialis) - Imperial moth caterpillars are covered in branched spines that can make predators think twice, while their green or brown coloration helps them blend into leaves and bark.

Photo 5: Oakworm Moth (Anisota sp.) - Oakworm caterpillars feed together in groups when they’re young, and their dark bodies and defensive spines may help discourage predators while they feed on oak leaves.

Each of these species highlights a different strategy that caterpillars use to avoid predators and survive long enough to become the moths we see today!

📸: Abbey Crossman

10/06/2026

Welcome back, today's post is on the Apalachicola dusky salamander (Desmognathus apalachicolae). This small-bodied salamander exists in varying shades of brown with mottling and light flecks differing per individual. Juveniles and Females are often lighter/ brighter than males. This species is limited to a very small geographical distribution in the Coastal Plain, primarily in tributaries (streams that flow into larger streams) of the Apalachicola and Chattahoochee rivers. Their habitat often overlaps with deep, moist ravines. Because of this, their historical range and abundance is more or less the same today. This is most likely due to their habitat being ill-suited for human development.

Apalachicola dusky salamanders can be aggressive and territorial, even towards their own. Juveniles are often excluded from the more “ideal” habitat by adults. Males are often found alone and have been observed aggressively defending their territory from other males. As of writing this post, the Apalachicola Dusky Salamander does not possess any federal protections and is not particularly threatened by human development. They are still vulnerable to other man-made stressors like pollution.


Photo by “amielhopkins” CC-BY-NC, iNaturalist [https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/318528530