With an easy calm and a storyteller’s instinct, Anne Lindsay draws students into Georgia’s coastal world. Whether sifting through leaf litter in the maritime forest or searching for periwinkle snails in the marsh, every question becomes an opportunity to explore.

As associate director of marine education for UGA Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant, Lindsay oversees activities at the Marine Education Center and Aquarium on Skidaway Island. The public facility, about 30 minutes from downtown Savannah, serves as the unit’s education hub, offering hands-on, feet-in experiences that immerse visitors in coastal ecology and marine science.

Each year, thousands of students from across the state spend time on-site. They hike through salt marshes, travel by boat to remote barrier islands, embark on research cruises aboard the R/V Sea Dawg, and conduct plankton studies and animal dissections in the lab.

“I really value the back-and-forth conversation, the exploration, and the experiential side of teaching. Without it, I wouldn’t be whole,” said Lindsay, who joined the Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant team in 1998.

Before coming to UGA, she had built a reputation as an outstanding educator, serving as a naturalist and instructor with schools and science centers along the East Coast. She earned her bachelor’s in zoology from UGA and her master’s in zoology from Clemson University.

Over the course of her tenure, Lindsay has worked closely with her colleagues to create and update pre-K–12 and adult programs and develop robust, discovery-based classes that leave a lasting impression on learners.

“I had always been interested in [marine] education. I had parents who shared nature with me. We explored as a family all sorts of different habitats, and many of them were coastal,” Lindsay said. “When I landed here and started driving to Skidaway island every day to go to work, over the salt marshes, there’s something that took hold of me and has deeply tied me to the coast ever since.”

One program Lindsay is particularly passionate about is Summer Marine Science Camps, which have run since 1993. She took over organizing the camps in 2002 and has grown them into nationally recognized experiences for children. Each year, 8-10 sessions serve ages 6-14 through field explorations, lab studies and live animal encounters. Each child is celebrated at the end of the week with a hand-drawn paper plate award, a long-standing tradition. The camp’s success has made it a model for education centers and Sea Grant programs across the country.

In 2011, Lindsay stepped into her current leadership role as associate director, continuing to teach and develop programs while managing staff, facilities and operations. She has secured external funding to implement new programs, reach wider audiences and expand the aquarium’s exhibits to emphasize coastal stewardship.

Even as her responsibilities have grown, Lindsay remains deeply committed to teaching. Leading classes and field programs helps her stay connected to the work that first drew her to education.

“Learning in the moment with other humans is what inspires me,” Lindsay said. “I especially love being a part of ‘first time’ adventures in nature because the surprises we may encounter together ultimately help students learn more about themselves.”

Honoring the past while shaping the future

Lindsay continues the legacy of the educators who established the aquarium’s programs in the 1970s, strengthening that foundation with innovative approaches to experiential learning and collaborating with Georgia’s leading coastal researchers to bring science-based activities to school groups. She also guides emerging educators, ensuring that the next generation builds on these traditions while introducing their own ideas.

Since 1998, she has trained, mentored and supervised 109 marine education fellows, eight graduate students and 26 undergraduate interns. Under her direction, they assist with camps, aquarium operations and public programs, gaining hands-on experience and professional connections. Many have gone on to careers in conservation, education, resource management and research. 

Every four years, Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant undergoes a federal site review by the National Sea Grant Office. For the last two cycles, the unit’s environmental literacy and workforce development focus area received the highest rank of merit, reflecting exemplary practices that serve as a model for Sea Grant programs nationwide.

Lindsay attributes that success to teamwork.

“I’m fortunate to lead a team of really talented people who know how to keep kids safe, teach them on boats, engage them in the aquarium, and explore with learners of all ages, creating a sense of stewardship in everyone who comes through this building,” she said.