St. Catherines Island is a privately-owned barrier island located between Ossabaw Island to the north and the Blackbeard-Sapelo island couplet to the south. St. Catherines Island (SCI) is owned and operated by the St. Catherines Island Foundation (SCIF), which was established by the Edward John Noble Foundation. The goals of the SCIF are Conservation, Research, and Education.

The St. Catherines Island Sea Turtle Program is managed and facilitated by SCIF staff, interns, and volunteers. Daily monitoring and documentation of sea turtle nesting activity, nest conservation, and reporting are completed in accordance with GA DNR permits and protocols. The SCIF supports sea turtle conservation, research, and educational activities by providing staff, student, and intern housing, boat transportation, and ATV’s and supplies for beach monitoring and research. Additional program support includes the Lamar Mixson Fund which supports one or two sea turtle interns per nesting season. The program has also received critical support from Georgia Southern University, the David and Jordan Smith Conservation Fund, and the MK Pentecost Ecology Fund.