Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary Management Plan 1983 LIST OF PREPARERS Many persons participated in the preparation of this document. A major portion of the management planning process was performed by NOAA's Sanctuary Programs Division and the Coastal Resources Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources under Cooperative Agreements NA-80-AAH-CZ075 and NA-81-AAH-CZO98. The University of Georgia's Marine Resource Center and Marine Extension Service also made major contributions to this effort. TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY I. Introduction II. Management Context -- The Sanctuary Environment III. Management Strategies -- Goals and Objectives IV. Resource Protection Plan V. Resource Studies Plan VI. Interpretation and Recreation Plan VII. Administration Plan VIII. Management Plan Review   EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Title III of the Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act of 1972 authorizes the Secretary of Commerce to designate ocean waters as marine sanctuaries for the purpose of preserving or restoring their conservation, recreational, ecological or esthetic values. Sanctuary designation provides for the comprehensive management of exceptional marine resources. Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary, a large expanse of live bottom reef on the South Atlantic Continental Shelf, was designated in 1981. Located 17.5 nautical miles east of Sapelo Island, Georgia, the Sanctuary is a "marine oasis" providing habitat for a variety of seaweeds, corals, fishes, sea turtles, and other reef organisms on an otherwise sand-covered ocean bottom. It is a popular site for recreational fishing and diving and a natural laboratory for scientific investigations. This Management Plan focuses on the special resource features of Gray's Reef. The Plan is designed to inform sanctuary users and the general public about the Sanctuary and the various activities that are planned for the site over time. It is forward-looking and action-oriented, describing the degree of resource protection necessary for the site, the types of research, interpretative, and recreational activities anticipated, the facilities where activities take place, and the kind of management effort necessary to implement the Plan. The Plan will be reviewed annually and updated every five years to reflect information and experience gained through sanctuary operations. Copies of this document are available upon request from: Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary 10 Ocean Science Circle Savannah, GA 31411 (912) 598-2345 return to management plan page