Management Plan

A school of fish swim past an orange branching sponge underwater.
Management of the sanctuary is focused on resource protection, scientific research, education, outreach, and cultural use and heritage. Photo: Greg McFall/NOAA

The sanctuary's current management plan, published in 2014, guides activities at Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary and identifies priority management issues and actions proposed to address them.

There are three primary pillars of management at Gray's Reef.

Resource Protection
Resource protection involves the implementation of protective measures (such as management plans, policies, regulations, enforcement, permitting) to prevent harm to sanctuary resources and qualities.
Scientific Research
Scientific research conducted by NOAA and partners (such as academic institutions, federal and state agencies, non-governmental organizations, and citizen science groups) provides the best available science to support management decisions.
Education and Outreach
Education and outreach efforts communicate information about the sanctuary and marine conservation to the public and resource users through education and outreach programs and K-university curricula.

Previous management plans and associated environmental documents can be found here:

For more information, visit the national marine sanctuary documents page.