Publications and Reports

This Knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions survey showed Georgia residents involved in recreational fishing were familiar with GRNMS and supportive of the protection of ocean and coastal resources in and around Georgia. Photos: Alison Soss/NOAA

Samonte, G., Damato, N., & Schwarzmann, D. (2023). Knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions: Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary. National Marine Sanctuaries Conservation Series ONMS-23-12. U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Ocean Service, Office of National Marine Sanctuaries.

This study investigated the knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of saltwater recreational anglers that use Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary (GRNMS) and surrounding areas. It also provides information on sociodemographic characteristics, activity participation, and use of coastal and ocean waters off Georgia, both inside and outside GRNMS. The surveys collected data on informational sources about GRNMS, anglers' trust of those sources, familiarity with GRNMS rules and regulations, and attitudes about selected management strategies for coastal and ocean resources both inside and outside GRNMS. For anglers inside GRNMS, perceptions of resource conditions were also assessed. The results of this study were also compared with data collected in 2010. Full report. One-page summary.

Coming in all shapes and sizes, sponges form colonies providing food, shelter, and water filtration. Photo: Greg McFall/NOAA

Roberson, K.W., P.J. Auster, S. Fangman, M. Harvey (Eds.). 2020. Review of Scientific Research in and around the Designated Research Area of Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary (NW Atlantic). Marine Sanctuaries Conservation Series ONMS-20-08. U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, Silver Spring, MD. 185 pp. Full Report

In December 2011, an eight-square-mile research area was designated within the 22 square-mile Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary to conduct investigations in a marine environment relatively free of direct human influences. The projects described in this report demonstrate that the Gray's Reef research area is functioning as a site to study the effects of natural variability from local and regional ecological processes (e.g., predation, competition, climate change, storms) where the direct effects of fishing will not mask, or add a degree of ambiguity, to the interpretation of results.

Sponges and tunicates carpet the sandstone ledges of Gray's Reef. Photo: Greg McFall/NOAA

Shein, K., J. Cavanaugh, H. Scalliet, S. Hutto, K. Roberson, B. Shortland, and L. Wenzel. 2019. Rapid vulnerability assessment for Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary. National Marine Sanctuaries Conservation Series ONMS-19-01. U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, Silver Spring, MD. 84 pp. Full Report

Gray's Reef is currently experiencing changing environmental conditions, and climate projections to 2100 suggest that these changes will continue and likely accelerate. This report summarizes the outcomes of the Gray's Reef Rapid Vulnerability Assessment workshop, an expert workshop held in November 2017 to assess the climate vulnerability of nine key species that occur within the sanctuary, with participants identifying two additional species for post-workshop assessments.

Acoustic receivers are used throughout the sanctuary and other locations in the Atlantic Ocean to monitor movement of fishes. Photo: NOAA

Williams, B.L., K. Roberson, J. Young, and M.S. Kendall. 2019. Using Acoustic Telemetry to Understand Connectivity of Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary to the U.S. Atlantic Coastal Ocean. NOAA Technical Memorandum NOS NCCOS 259. Silver Spring, MD. 82 pp. Full Report

This study analyzed nearly ten years of acoustic telemetry monitoring at Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary, to understand its role in fish movements along the U.S. Atlantic coast. Here, we identify all transient species that were detected by telemetry receivers at the sanctuary from 2008 to 2017, summarize the timing and seasonality of their visits, and discuss their connectivity to the broader coastal Atlantic ecosystem.

A number of technologies are used to measuring how and when people use Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary. Photo: NOAA

Kendall, M.S., T.A. Battista, M. Carson, W. Caskey, K. Grissom, B. Guthrie, M. Head, C.F.G. Jeffrey, M. Kuzemchak, K.W. Roberson. T.J. Rowell, B. Shortland, and J.A. Stanley. 2020. Observations of Visitation to Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary. NOAA Technical Memorandum NOS NCCOS 281 Silver Spring, MD. 57 pp. Full report

Some boats in the sanctuary utilized Gray's Reef as a destination. Others were merely passing through on their way between destinations along the busy north/south transit corridor off the Atlantic seaboard. In this study, we quantify the proportion of those vessels merely passing through but focus on "visitation" defined as those boaters most likely to be deliberately targeting sanctuary resources.