GEORGIA-XH-CW

Research

About our research

The River Basin Center works in three broad areas: a) Conservation ecology of aquatic ecosystems; b) Applied research on aquatic system stressors and development of appropriate management tools; c) policy development and outreach.

The River Basin Center includes over 80 affiliates from 27 different University of Georgia units and $6,400,000 in active grants from external funders.

To learn more about River Basin Center research or request a project description of your own work, email UGARiverbasincenter@uga.edu.

Research Stories

Five photos in a grid showing headshots of the winners of the 2025 John Spencer research grants. Top row: Emily Chalfin, Kuhelika Ghosh, Monika Giri. Second row: Mackenzi Hallmark, Alyssa Quan.

2025 Spencer Research Grants Awarded to Six

Athens, Ga. – Six graduate student affiliates of the River Basin Center have been named recipients of John Spencer research grants for 2025. This year’s awards will provide a total of $10,000 to support a range of projects that contribute to water sustainability and resilience across the southeastern United States and beyond.

CyanoTRACKER Partnering on Algal Blooms Across the U.S.

RBC Affiliate, Professor and Associate Head of the Department of Geography and the Director of the Small Satellite Research Lab Deepak Mishra has begun large-scale field studies with the CyanoTRACKER Project. Mishra is the P.I. of the project, which uses a combination of community reports, remote sensing data and imaging to identify

New publication: Spatial planning to maximize levee setback co-benefits

A new study authored by RBC affiliate Charles Van Rees was published in WIREs Water, discussing ways to maximize the benefits of levee setbacks, a form of natural infrastructure that allows for more effective conservation of riverine ecosystems.

A genetic clock can predict lifespan in mammals, UGA’s SREL research suggests

RBC Affiliate Benjamin Parrott, an Associate Professor at the Savannah River Ecology Lab, have gained new insight into the phenomenon of epigenetic drift, a "clock" within an animal's DNA that determines its rate of aging. The study has the ability to significantly affect aging research.

Managing the ebb & flow of the I-85 corridor

Multiple RBC affiliates, along with Director Seth Wenger and Associate Director Krista Capps, recently published a paper on the effects of urbanization along I-85, as well as suggestions for the continued water management of one of the United States' most vital interstate arteries.

Study: People are altering decomposition rates in waterways

A new study co-authored by RBC Associate Director Krista Capps and Affiliate J.P. Schmidt gathered data from 550 rivers across 40 countries and found that human intervention increases the rate of decomposition of plant matter, depriving freshwater life of food at a faster rate than usual, as well as potentially exacerbating climate
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