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Sanctuary History

Gray's Reef was designated as a national marine sanctuary on January 16, 1981 by President Jimmy Carter, but the history of the reef—once known as the "Sapelo Live Bottom"—dates back to pre-Columbian North America. The Sanctuary was named in recognition of Milton "Sam" Gray, who discovered the area in modern times.

1953

  • 1953 - University of Georgia opens its Marine Institute on Sapelo Island. The institute's curator and biological collector named Milton "Sam" Gray begins extensive surveys of the ocean floor off the coast of Sapelo Island.

1961

  • A black and white illustration of a cross section of a rocky seafloor.
    An early schematic of "Sapelo Live Bottom" shows the ledges and undercuts formed offshore. Image: Jesse Hunt

    1961 - Milton "Sam" Gray finds a spectacular nearshore, hard-bottom reef 19 nautical miles (31 kilometers) east of Sapelo Island and known by locals as "Sapelo Live Bottom."

1970

  • 1974 - Jesse Hunt, a geology graduate student at the Sapelo Marine Institute, proposes a new name to the hard-bottom site, "Gray's Reef", to recognize Sam's valuable contribution to understanding offshore marine life.

  • June 1978 - The Georgia Department of Natural Resources submits a nomination to the Secretary of Commerce, recommending that Gray's Reef be designated as a national marine sanctuary.

1980

  • January 16th, 1981 - President Jimmy Carter, approves the designation of Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary, the fourth in the National Marine Sanctuary System.

  • A scuba diver shows their head behind soft and boulder corals and sponges.
    Early exploration of the sanctuary used scuba systems to dive and identify species. Photo: NOAA

    1983 - Gray's Reef management plan is completed. The plan focuses on:

    • Protecting the quality of this unique and fragile ecological community;
    • Promoting scientific understanding of this live-bottom ecosystem; and
    • Enhancing public awareness and wise use of this significant regional resource.

1990

  • 1997 - NOAA deploys an ocean data buoy to monitor winds, waves, and weather at Gray's Reef.

  • 1999

    Nine people standing in two rows in front of a blue building.
    Gray's Reef establishes a Sanctuary Advisory Council to engage commercial and recreational anglers, educators, researchers, and the public in the management of the sanctuary. Photo: NOAA

2000

  • 2004 - Georgia Southern University scientists and students discover three previously unknown tunicates or "sea squirts."

  • A scuba diver swims several feet above the flat top of a reef.
    Scientific divers conduct experiments in the research area to compare data between locations with and without impacts from fishing and diving. Photo: Greg McFall/NOAA

    December 2011 - A Research Area was created in the southern third of the sanctuary where scientists can study the impact of human activities on the sanctuary's marine resources. Fishing and diving is not permitted in the research area and boats are not allowed to stop. The research area has been and continues to be a catalyst for researchers to study fish and reef communities free from fishing and diving pressures.

  • 2019 - After a decade of listening to the noises of the reef, the Decade of Detections report offers insight into which fishes, sharks, and turtles visit Gray's Reef.