Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary is excited to introduce the new sanctuary publication "Shades of Gray." Click on the link below to download a .pdf version of the publication. Should you prefer a paper copy, please send an email to graysreef@noaa.gov and we'll add you to our mailing list!

Volume 3 Number 2 (Summer 2006) *pdf 1.78 MB
Volume 3 Number 1 (Fall 2005 / Winter 2006) *pdf 1.94 MB
Volume 2 Number 2 (Summer 2005) *pdf 1.81 MB
Volume 2 Number 1 (Spring 2005) *pdf 0.79 MB
Volume 1 Number 3 (Fall 2004) *pdf 0.74 MB
Volume 1 Number 2 (Summer 2004) *pdf 1.75 MB
Volume 1 Number 1 (Spring 2004) *pdf 2.35 MB

From the Sanctuary Manager
by Reed Bohne, Sanctuary Manager
Shades of Gray, the title of this inaugural newsletter, of course refers to Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary. The sanctuary was so named to honor Milton "Sam" Gray of the University of Georgia Marine Institute. Sam studied the Gray's Reef area intensively in the 1960's, and his extensive collection of invertebrate specimens is housed at the UGA Museum of Natural History.

Shades of Gray also is familiar to most in the context of an issue not being black or white but a less certain shade of gray. Decisions in science, conservation, and management of an open ocean environment like Gray's Reef are often tempered by great uncertainty. There is so much that is poorly understood and the effect we all have on the health and vitality of this national undersea treasure. Our uncertainty is not and should not be an excuse for indecision. Rather it is one of many factors that must be part of the equation in our efforts to protect Gray's Reef and facilitate the use of its resources.

We hope you will join us in the effort to build community involvement in the management of Gray's Reef. Management decisions are often most successful when the community is part of the decision-making process and understand the uncertainty inherent in taking a particular path.

If you've been involved, stay aboard! If you're new, join the party! We think the ingredients of the plan are going to keep you interested and excited in what we're doing. There just aren't too many cooks for this soup.