Calendar of Events

Annual events:

January

Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary Designation - January 16th

Celebrate another year of sanctuary conservation for Gray's Reef, originally designated in 1981. Learn about the history of the sanctuary here.

March

St. Patrick's Day Parade Float - Historic Downtown Savannah

Keep an eye out for our traveling reef float complete with dancing sharks, and marching Gray's Reef staff and volunteers.

April

Earth Day - April 22

May

MATE ROV Competition

Organized by the Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, middle and high school students build their own underwater robots and compete to win a chance at advancing to the national competition

June

World Ocean Day - June 6

Sam Gray's Birthday - June 7 (b. 1895)

The sanctuary's namesake, Milton "Sam" Gray was born on this day in 1895.

July

NOAA Ship Nancy Foster Expeditions

The multi-day ocean science expedition explores and studies the sanctuary.

August

Get Into Your Sanctuary

Make it a goal this month to support your sanctuary any way you can.

October

Skidaway Marine Science Day - Skidaway Institute of Oceanography

Each year, marine scientists and educators put on a public event highlighting the ongoing work at the University of Georgia Skidaway Institute of Oceanography, Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant, and Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary.

National Marine Sanctuaries creation - October 23, 1972

November

Georgia Whale Week

North Atlantic right whales return to calf and nurse their young in the coastal waters of South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida.