Home - Skidaway Institute of Oceanography

Two people on a small boat are lowering a yellow underwater glider into the ocean using a crane. The sun shines brightly in the background. Text at the top reads Skidaway Gliders.

The physical oceanography lab at SkIO combines observation and modeling to describe variability in coastal ocean environments. Our focus is lent heavily to the influence of meteorological events and other air-sea interactions on the physical and chemical properties of coastal waters.

Team Members

SkIO Lab

A woman with short brown hair and gold hoop earrings smiles outdoors. She is wearing a purple blouse, and the background features green trees and grass in bright sunlight. — **Catherine Edwards**
Principal Investigator

A woman with shoulder-length light brown hair smiles outdoors, wearing a dark blue top. The background features green grass and trees in soft focus. — **Karen Dreger**
Glider ops lead technician

A man with brown hair and a full beard smiles outdoors. He is wearing a green shirt, and trees with blurred buildings are visible in the background. — **Kristopher Maedke-Russell**
Radar ops lead technician

A person wearing a brown wide-brimmed hat and a red life jacket takes a selfie on a calm lake with blue sky and trees visible in the background. — **James Bird**
Lab and field technician

Students

A bearded man wearing a NASA shirt, a neck gaiter, and a hat with a green turtle design sits on a boat with deep blue ocean water in the background. — **Frank McQuarrie**
PhD candidate, UGA

A young woman with long dark hair smiles at the camera. In the background, there is water and a white boat with windows, suggesting a marina or waterfront setting. — **Mengxue Hou**
Postdoc, Purdue
GENIoS development team

A young man wearing glasses and a black shirt with a patterned pocket stands in front of a city skyline at night, with colorful illuminated buildings and a crowd of people behind him. — **Ruochu Yang**
GA Tech graduate program
GENIoS development team

Pilots

A man with short brown hair and a beard smiles at the camera while wearing a blue plaid shirt. Trees and sunlight are visible in the blurred background. — **Ben Hefner**
Past SkIO Lab team member

A person with shoulder-length, wavy blond hair smiles at the camera. They are wearing a light-colored, striped shirt. The background shows trees, vehicles, and a pinkish-purple sunset sky. — **Garrison Hefner**
Past SkIO summer intern

**Drew Vincent**
Past SkIO summer intern

Track our gliders!

Navigate below for up-to-date glider locations, data, and hurricane forecasting

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