Research Overview Current Research Projects Underwater Paleontology: Recovery of a Prehistoric Whale Mandible Offshore Georgia Scientists study sponges and coral at Gray's Reef Fish Feeding Habits Connect Top to Bottom in the Sanctuary Gray's Reef Fish Have Responded to Heavy Fishing Pressure NOAA Ship NANCY FOSTER Gray's Reef Cruise; May 2008 Study of Marine Erosion in the Georgia Bight, Including Gray's Reef and J-Reef Grayís Reef Research Coordinator Greg McFall and other scientists monitor Oculina reefs off the Southeast U.S Sanctuary Science In the Field; Southeast Region Gray's Reef Video Gallery by Project Oceanica Diet Studies on Fish at Gray's Reef Sessile Invertebrate Fauna Identification Common Fish Identification Guide A Guide to the Benthic Invertebrates and Cryptic Fishes of Gray's Reef Latitudinal variation in spongivorous fishes and the effectiveness of sponge chemical defenses History Gray's Reef was first extensively studied by scientists in 1961 while surveying the nearshore area off the University of Georgia's Marine Institute on Sapelo Island, Georgia. The first systematic collection from Grays's Reef, the Gray Collection, is housed at the University of Georgia, Athens. In 1974, J.L.Hunt Jr. studied its geology and origin, 1978 C.D. Harris reported resident fish populations, 1981 the South Carolina Marine Resources Research Institute and Georgia Department of Natural Resources studied living marine resources, and 1981 Bureau of Lands Management, and Searles made limited seaweed collections. Since January 1981, funded research has been directed principally towards management implications. Studies such as: -Geological history of Gray's Reef -Effects on Roller Trawling on A Hard Bottom Community -A video transect method for estimating reef fish abundance -Current Velocity Measurements at Gray's Reef NMS -1983 Overflight Summary Report: Visitor Use at Gray's Reef NMS -Field and Laboratory seaweed guide -Field guide to the fishes of Gray's Reef The Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary (GRNMS) Management Plan developed in 1983, outlined strategies for the effective management of the areas resources. A stated goal of the plan is to promote and coordinate research to enhance scientific understanding of the sanctuary and improve management decision making. A main objective to achieve this was implementing of a resource studies plan based on existing knowledge of live bottom ecosystems and evolving management issues. This plan is outlined in the 1983 document and has provided the outlined areas of research needs since implementing the plan. The Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary recognizes the importance of long term monitoring to understand and recognize the health and status of the significant resources found in the sanctuary. Long term monitoring of the resources also serves the management concerns of other state and federal agencies as Gray's Reef is one of the largest natural live-bottom reefs in the South Atlantic Bight (SAB) and serves as a good indicator of overall live bottom health here. The need for information on fisheries resources is especially evident as catches of snapper and grouper have declined 50% since 1980 in the SAB. Current Research and Plans In recognition of the need and value of long term monitoring for sound management decision making and evaluating the effectiveness of these decisions, GRNMS began long term monitoring of fisheries resources in 1993. This is accomplished through the assistance of the Marine Assessment Monitoring and Prediction (MARMAP) program conducted by the South Carolina Marine Resources Research Institute. Survey's have been conducted annually since 1993. In 1995 Gray's Reef initiated a long term monitoring assessment of its natural resources. The monitoring program encompasses the following resources and topics of concern determined to be of significant importance to GRNMS during the planning of the designation and subsequent establishment of the management and research studies plan; Fish populations, benthic invertebrates, oceanographic conditions, sediment transport and visitor use. 32 permanent reference points were established and marked with numbered goat ear tags mounted on 1m stainless steel rods. The study site has a 250 meter extent in water depth of about 60 feet. Assessments began as two comprehensive sampling efforts are studied seasonally and will provide a picture of seasonal changes in reef fish abundance measures. Additionally these survey's are supplemented with diver video assessments. This technique was developed by Dr. Richard O. Parker of the National Marine Fisheries Service in 1986 and is still in use today to monitor the status of reef fish in the sanctuary. To supplement these fishery monitoring efforts with long term monitoring of invertebrate populations by photo-quadrat and physical oceanographic conditions such as temperature started in 1995. May of 1997, data buoy 41008, from the National Data Buoy Center (NDBC), was placed within Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary boundaries (31*24'00"N, 80*52'30"W). The buoy records real time data including: speed and gust; air and sea temperature; and wave energy spectra from which significant wave height, dominant wave period, and average wave period are derived. Through the collection of this data GRNMS will be able to provide up to date reports on the status of the health of the sanctuaries resources to the public through education and outreach programs as well as to resource management agencies at both state and federal levels. Site characterization studies to map the bottom of the ocean, such as sidescan sonar and bathymetry have also been collected at Gray's Reef by the United States Geological Survey in 1994. Gray's Reef has also used Remotely Operated Vehicles to verify the sidescan data and have a visual record of all the areas within the sanctuary. Loggerhead Sea Turtle Satellite Tagging Project Follow "Humpty Dumpty" Loggerhead Sea Turtle from Septmeber 98 -Novemeber 99. GRNMS Sea Turtle Satellite Tagging Project will utilize satellite transmitter tags to monitor adult and juvenile Loggerhead Sea Turtle behavior and movement in the South Atlantic Bight. Specifically parameters including turtle's position, time, and depth will be electronically collected and transmitted via satellite simultaneously to scientists at GRNMS. Two transmitters have been attached to offshore turtles captured within Gray's Reef and three transmitters have been attached to nesting loggerhead turtles in Wassaw Island and Blackbeard Island, Georgia. Future plans are to place 3 transmitters on loggerheads captured at Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary. Real time satellite data from the three loggerhead turtles, "Isabelle", "Annie", and "Aerial", tagged by Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary staff can be seen on the WhaleNet server. Archeological Findings in Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary Research efforts led by Dr. Erv Garrison, University of Georgia marine archeologist, is attempting to document the reefs' existence above sea level some 15,000 years ago when Georgia's shoreline extended more than 60 miles eastward. Click here for more information and findings on this research.   Research Summaries and Abstracts Pleistocene/Holocene Sea Level Changes in the Georgia Bight Evaluation of Sampling Techniques for Long Term Monitoring of Hard Bottom Reef Fish Assemblages in the South Atlantic Bight by Lt. David Score Monitoring Summary Sessile Invertebrate Colonization and Community Development on Hard Substrate Similar to the Natural Hard Bottom in the South Atlantic Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta) Satellite Tagging Project Geoarcheology in the Georgia Bight: A Study of Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary (NOAA) and J Reef, Georgia   Back to the Top of the Page