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Boundary Options for a Research Area within Grays Reef National Marine Sanctuary

Characterization of the Fish, Benthos, and Marine Debris at the Grays Reef National Marine Sanctuary


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Objectives

NOAA's National Marine Sanctuaries Program (NMSP) and specifically the Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary have expressed interest in obtaining a baseline characterization of the benthic resources within Gray's Reef. To meet this need, CCMA's Biogeography Branch, in consultation with GRNMS is conducting a characterization to identify spatial correlations between fish communities, benthic features, and fishing impacts at Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary (hereafter, GRNMS or the sanctuary).

Project Summary

GRNMS encompasses approximately 58 square kilometers of seafloor located 17 nautical miles off the coast of Georgia in approximately 60 feet of water. Baseline characterization of GRNMS benthic fish and sessile invertebrates has not been conducted comprehensively throughout the Sanctuary. This project quantifies those resources through a robust, statistically defensible sampling design. The project builds upon the previously completed benthic maps for the sanctuary (completed in 2003 by CCMA Biogeography Branch). Such an assessment is needed to support the many activities and responsibilities of sanctuary staff including natural resources management, education, research, and even for promoting responsible recreational use by fishermen and divers. An understanding of the distribution of benthic resources provides the spatial framework within which to conduct sanctuary monitoring activities, identify and protect essential fish habitat, and properly address other spatially explicit research and management goals. This baseline characterization is also the first step in monitoring temporal changes in the Gray's Reef landscape and understanding more about the dynamic nature of this region of the continental shelf. To meet this need, the Biogeography Branch mapped benthic habitats of the Sanctuary using sonar imagery. Completed maps include ledges of varying heights, flat live bottom, flat sand, and rippled sand. These maps are used to stratify sampling design of fish and benthic cover. Fish communities, fishing gear, marine debris, and cover of sessile invertebrates are surveyed along diver transects within each habitat type.

Click images to enlarge
Toadfish peaking out of borrow in sand (Opsanus sp.) Diver conducting a fish survey on a ledge Benthic habitat at a ledge site

The images above represent typical bottom formations encountered at GRNMS. Photo credits: Biogeography Branch

Products

Current/Completed -

Reports and Publications

  • Kendall, M.S., O.P. Jensen, C. Alexander, D. Field, G. McFall, R. Bohne, and M.E. Monaco. 2005. Benthic mapping using sonar, video transect, and an innovative approach to accuracy assessment: a characterization of bottom creatures in the Georgia Bight. Journal of Coastal Research 21: 1154-1165.
  • The methods and results of the benthic mapping portion of this study are available at the following link.

Maps

  • Benthic maps are available from GRNMS only (contact information below)

Data

  • Benthic mapping data are available from GRNMS only (contact information below)

Tools

Future -

Reports and Publications

Data

  • The raw data from the fish, benthic, and gear surveys will be made available in tabular format once all data are entered, and checked for correctness within a database (expected Spring 2006).

Partners

Relevant Links

Time Frame

  • Data compilation completed December 2005
  • Optimization analysis to be complete by January 2006
  • Report and data products to be available by March 2006

For More Information

Project Manager:

1305 East West Highway
SSMC-IV, N/SCI-1
Silver Spring, MD 20910
301-713-3028 x144


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