| Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary | |
|---|---|
IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area) | |
 Sponges in Gray's Reef NMS | |
   | |
| Location | Georgia, USA |
| Nearest city | Savannah, GA |
| Coordinates | 31°25′N 80°55′W / 31.417°N 80.917°W |
| Area | 57 km2 (22 sq mi) |
| Established | January 16, 1981[1] |
| Governing body | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |
 | |
Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary is one of the largest near-shore live-bottom reefs in the southeastern United States. The sanctuary, designated in January 1981, is located 19 miles (17 nmi; 31 km) off Sapelo Island, Georgia, and is part of the U.S. National Marine Sanctuary System.
Within the 22-square-mile (17 sq nmi; 57 km2) sanctuary, there are both rocky ledges and sandy flat places. The reef's rocky sandstone outcrops, submerged beneath 60 to 70 feet (18 to 21 m) of water, can be as tall as 2 to 3 metres (6 ft 7 in to 9 ft 10 in) and are highly complex.[2] These nooks and crannies provide plenty of places for marine invertebrates to latch on to and for fish to hide in. Together these animals form a dense tapestry of living creatures that in places completely hides the rock. That gives the habitat of Gray's Reef its common name — a "live bottom".
Researchers from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the University of Georgia have used the site to study invertebrate and vertebrate paleontology as well as the effects of erosion.[2]
- ^ 42 FR 7942. Retrieved from https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-1981-01-26/pdf/FR-1981-01-26.pdf
- ^ a b Noakes, SE; Garrison, EG; McFall, GB (2009). "Underwater Paleontology: Recovery of a Prehistoric Whale Mandible Offshore Georgia". In: Pollock NW, ed. Diving for Science 2009. Proceedings of the American Academy of Underwater Sciences 28th Symposium. Dauphin Island, AL. Archived from the original on September 6, 2013. Retrieved 2013-05-07.
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