Sanctuary Synopsis: Exciting month ahead for Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary

NOAA's National Ocean Service sent this bulletin at 08/04/2021 02:06 PM EDT

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Gray's Reef ready for exciting August

Nancy Foster Research Expedition, Get Into Your Sanctuary, and Sanctuary Advisory Council Meeting round out an exciting month.

The NOAA Ship Nancy Foster returns to Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary for a two-week research expedition studying the waters and live-bottom habitats of coastal Georgia. Over a year of planning, precautions, and approvals have brought this cruise into reality and it will be the first multi-purpose research cruise to the sanctuary since 2019.

diver working on science equipment at Gray's Reef-Greg McFall/NOAA

Marine research at Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary takes place year-round, but the summer Nancy Foster expedition lets the scientists sleep at sea and dive multiple times per day.
Image credit: Greg McFall/NOAA

During this liveaboard expedition, scientists and divers from Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary, Georgia State University Department of Biology, and the NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science will study fish and invertebrate diversity, collect and identify species of algae, collect water samples and dinoflagellates that can produce ciguatera food poisoning, analyze microplastics in sediments and the water, record and remove invasive lionfish, and create maps of the seafloor around Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary.

The expedition runs August 7th through 18th. You can follow the cruise happenings through the Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary Facebook and Twitter pages. 

Nancy Foster-port side-Credit-Ashley Marranzano/NOAA

The NOAA Ship Nancy Foster hosts a 12-day research expedition to Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary. Image credit: Ashley Marranzano/NOAA
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New Gray's Reef fishing guide highlights GIYS 2021

Thursday, August 5, 1:00 PM

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Responsible recreation has kept Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary an ideal fishing destination for over 40 years. Join us as we introduce an online best fishing practices guide for you to make the most of your trip. Become familiar with the sanctuary’s regulations and other applicable federal and state fishing regulations, how to properly rig a fish descending device, and learn about apps where recreational fishers contribute data used in stock management.

Joining the sanctuary in this virtual event is the The Nature Conservancy, South Atlantic Fisheries Management Council, and University of Georgia Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant.

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23 august 10a-1:50p

Sanctuary Advisory Council to meet Monday, August 23

This virtual council meeting will address a variety of topics, including:

  • updates on public comments regarding a planned NOAA economic evaluation of the sanctuary's research area;
  • considerations of potential council input regarding the President's "America The Beautiful" initiative;
  • updates on the sanctuary's visitor center development;

Public registration is available through GoToWebinar. Public comment will be taken at approximately 1:40 p.m. All agenda times are estimates and subject to adjustment. Anyone wishing to address the council should join the meeting no later than 12:30 p.m. in case the meeting progresses quickly and agenda items are completed earlier than expected.

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