Baruch Institute of Coastal Ecology and Forest Science

The Baruch Institute of Coastal Ecology and Forest Science (BICEFS) is located in Georgetown, South Carolina on Hobcaw Barony, a 16,000 acre tract of undeveloped land owned by the Belle W. Baruch Foundation, a non-profit organization.

The coastal environment of Hobcaw offers a diversity of ecosystems including estuaries, tidal marshes, and freshwater swamps; coastal forests, and streams and rivers.

Topics of research at BICEFS address critical environmental issues including climate and land-use change, coastal science, water quality and quantity, biodiversity loss, and forest and watershed ecology and management. Our researchers work both at Hobcaw Barony, as well as across the state, nationally, and internationally. Findings from our research inform conservation, management, and policy.

Facilities

• 12,000 square foot conference and education facility
  • Office space for resident faculty, visiting faculty, and visiting scientists
  • Smart classroom for videoconferencing and distance education
  • Large meeting room for workshops and symposia
  • Conference rooms for small meetings
• 7,000 square foot office and laboratory facility
  • Laboratories for water quality and environmental research
• New 1,250-square-foot research and operations building
• Two cottages for overnight lodging with a total of 13 beds