ATLANTA (AP) — The State Board of Regents has approved of aligning the Skidaway Institute of Oceanography with the University of Georgia.

The Skidaway Institute of Oceanography is a multidisciplinary research institution created in 1967 that conducts research in all fields of oceanography and marine sciences. The facility is housed on a 700-acre campus on Skidaway Island near Savannah. The institute recently received a federal grant of nearly $700,000 to study the chemistry of salt marshes in coastal Georgia.

In a statement Tuesday, the University System's Chief Academic Officer, Houston Davis, said the alignment will help streamline operations and enhance research efforts for both Skidaway and UGA's marine and coastal programs.

The alignment became effective Tuesday after the board of regents voted.