Tybee Beach Ecology Trips

Specialties

Tybee Beach Ecology Trips with marine biologist, Dr. Joe Richardson, are fun, educational ways to explore the marine life on Tybee Island. They are great for all ages and are conducted at a relaxing pace with most of our time spent near the water line in the wet, packed sand. I schedule my trips around low tide because that is when we can see and find the greatest variety of animals. During a typical 2-​hr session we will explore the wet sand for diggers and burrowers and learn how to spot animals that most people miss. We will also explore a rock jetty and the animals and seaweeds that live on it. Along the base of the jetty we will examine the tide pools for animals that live in these habitats. As you find live animals, we will create a «touch tank» with your animals, and then return them all back to their habitats before we finish. Conditions permitting, we will pull a long beach seine net for fish, crabs and other animals in the surf zone. Great for families and groups.

History

Established in 2010.

Dr. Joe (Ph.D.) is a professor emeritus of marine sciences who has taught, studied, and conducted research in this area since 1979. He has also conducted research from Nova Scotia to the Bahamas, where he taught summer graduate courses for 20 years. «Tybee Beach Ecology Trips» started about 3 years ago due to a demand from school teachers for Dr. Joe to continue helping them with their class field trips. As word spread about his availability, many more requests came from out-​of-​state schools, tour groups, Girl Scout groups from throughout the country, and professional and convention groups visiting Savannah. Soon after, hotels and motels and vacation property rental businesses in Savannah, Tybee Island, and Hilton Head, SC, asked Dr. Joe if he would consider conducting trips for families, couples and individuals. Today, «Tybee Beach Ecology Trips» conducts trips for all sizes of groups, and for all ages. Dr. Joe often says «every day is different in terms of what we find!»

Meet the Business Owner

Dr. Joe R.

Business Owner

I’m originally from Tennessee, and as a kid, my family would spend our summer vacations on the coast of NC. All I wanted to do was fish! My plan was to become a charter boat fishing captain when I grew up, so I could fish all the time. I discovered I sort of liked science in school, and in the 7^th grade, discovered there was such a thing as a «marine biologist» who studied things in the ocean. From then on, that was all I ever wanted to be. I earned my BA in Biology at the Univ. of Tennessee (Phi Beta Kappa), and my Ph.D. in Marine Sciences at the Univ. of North Carolina. After that, I spent my entire professional career at Savannah State University developing its Marine Science Program. Along the way, I’ve also served as adjunct faculty at the Univ. of GA, Skidaway Institute of Oceanography, Armstrong Atlantic State Univ., Embry Riddle Univ., St. Leo’s Univ. Retiring from SSU as professor emeritus in 2007, I still conduct research through my business Coastal Environmental Analysis.