NOAA Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary

NOAA Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary Explore. Discover. Connect. Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary (GRNMS) protects a vibrant hard-bottom area off the Georgia coast. Photos of Gray's Reef!

The reef’s scattered rocky outcroppings and ledges provide homes for an abundance of marine life. Crabs, lobsters, soft corals, sponges, sea stars and other organisms form a dense carpet of living creatures, covering the nooks and crannies of Gray's Reef and giving it the name “live bottom." The reef attracts more than 200 species of fish, including black sea bass, snappers, groupers and mackerels

. Loggerhead sea turtles, a threatened species, forage and rest year-round at Gray's Reef, and the reef is within the only known winter calving ground for the highly endangered North Atlantic right whale. Gray's Reef also attracts people: recreational boaters, anglers and divers are among the sanctuary's user groups. The bottom 1/3 of Gray's Reef is a research area where fishing and diving are prohibited. Boats may transit across the research area as long as they don't stop and all fishing gear is stowed and unavailable for use. The research area is used exclusively for controlled scientific studies. The 22-square-mile sanctuary is the only protected natural reef and one of a few natural marine protected areas in the Atlantic Ocean between Cape Hatteras, North Carolina and Cape Canaveral, Florida. However, given the sanctuary's remote location 16 miles east of Sapelo Island, Georgia, most people experience Gray's Reef through pictures or videos. Unlike reefs built by corals, Gray’s Reef comprises scattered limestone rock outcroppings that stand above the sandy surface of the nearly flat continental shelf. http://graysreef.noaa.gov/pgallery/welcome.html

Location of Gray's Reef. http://graysreef.noaa.gov/about/location/welcome.html

Diving at Gray's Reef. http://graysreef.noaa.gov/visit/diving/welcome.html

Fishing at Gray's Reef. http://graysreef.noaa.gov/visit/fishing/welcome.html

06/12/2026

It's ! 🌊 Enjoy a dive into the beauty of NOAA Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary ! The 22-square-mile sanctuary protects a vibrant, hard-bottom reef off the Georgia coast, home to almost 1,000 species of invertebrates and 200 species of fish!🐟 What kinds of creatures do you see swimming around the reef in this video?

Looking to throw in a line?🎣 Every angler will encounter a time where they have to or choose to return the fish they caught back to the water due to regulations or personal preference. It is your responsibility to know the catch limits and minimum sizes for the fish you may encounter - If you don’t know, let it go!

For , check out a few things to keep in mind to ensure that released fish survive to support healthy, sustainable fish communities: https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/visit/fishing/best-practices/catch-and-release.html.

🎥: Nick Zachar/NOAA

It's almost time to board the NOAA Ship Nancy Foster! Here are some tips to help you prepare for your visit:1️⃣ The open...
06/11/2026

It's almost time to board the NOAA Ship Nancy Foster! Here are some tips to help you prepare for your visit:

1️⃣ The open house will begin at 12:00 p.m.
2️⃣ Officers will es**rt guests in groups of 10 throughout the vessel.
3️⃣ Guests will be allowed to see the bridge, back deck, mess, wet lab, dry lab, and lounge.

The ship will be docked by the ""A World Apart"" World War II Monument on River Street in Savannah, Georgia, and there will be information tables out front hosted by NOAA Ship Nancy Foster, Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary, and Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary Foundation. We can't wait to see you there!

Content by NOAA

06/11/2026

As we continue on with National Fishing Week, we wanted to share some information about a common occurrence seen when fishing at Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary. When a fish is pulled up from a depth that is below 30 ft, there may be indicators of what is called barotrauma (“pressure shock”).
Barotrauma is the expansion of gases in a fish’s swim bladder and other body cavities that prevents the fish - typically a snapper or grouper - from swimming back down after release. This incapacitates them and can be fatal if not properly addressed. Signs of barotrauma can include bulging eyes, sluggish swimming, a bloated belly, or a protruding stomach from the mouth.

To increase the survivability of fish at Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary that are suffering from barotrauma, return the fish into the depth of capture as quickly as possible with recompression tools (such as. descender devices, release weights, and release baskets). This recompresses the swim bladder and re-establishes the fish’s equilibrium. If rapid descent is not possible, use a venting tool to release the gases in the fish’s swim bladder, allowing it to swim back down into the depths by itself. NEVER use a knife or puncture a fish’s protruding stomach.

This descender device mechanically releases the fish when it hits bottom.

You can learn more at the link below.
https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/action/descending-device-and-venting-tool-direct-enhancement-snapper-conservation-and-economy

Content by NOAA Fisheries
Music by Universal Music Productions

06/09/2026


Anchors aweigh! ⚓ The fourth East Coast Ocean Acidification cruise ( ) has officially left port! Researchers aboard the NOAA Ship Henry B. Bigelow will spend the next 50 days assessing ocean acidification along the East Coast.

Follow the journey: https://oceanacidification.noaa.gov/noaa-fourth-east-coast-ocean-acidification-mission-ecoa-4/

Wish our crew a safe and successful voyage in the comments! 👇 🛥️

For the next several weeks, a dedicated team of scientists will be living and working aboard to collect high quality data on the changing chemistry of our Atlantic waters. From surface to seafloor, this baseline data is vital for tracking long-term trends and fundamental to ocean acidification models and forecasts.

This cruise provides the highest quality data for monitoring . By measuring chemistry, biology and physics at the same time, scientists are able to better understand the processes that affect marine ecosystems and improve our ability to forecast ocean change. As the fourth iteration of ECOA, this cruise builds upon a long-term time series of ocean monitoring data in the region.

📷 NOAA Ship Henry B. Bigelow traversing calm seas. Credit: NOAA OMAO

06/08/2026

Life began in the ocean billions of years ago. Most major forms of life live in the ocean. Most volcanic activity occurs in the ocean. There are over 6,000 known species of coral in the ocean. The Great Barrier Reef is the largest living structure on Earth and can be seen from space. The deep sea is the largest habitat on Earth. The Arctic Ocean covers more than five million square miles. Over 71% of the Earth's surface is ocean.

Celebrate World Ocean Day this year by visiting the free Gray’s Reef Ocean Discovery Center, exploring the sanctuary, following the best practices listed on our website, and exploring some of the incredible videos and lesson plans available across the National Marine Sanctuary System’s webpages! See the links below.

https://graysreef.noaa.gov/
https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/

Content by Nick Zachar/NOAA. Music by Universal Production Music.

06/05/2026

It's World Environment Day!

At Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary, there is a unique underwater world ready to explore. Live-bottom refers to the dense carpet of living creatures on the seafloor, attracting soft corals, sponges, sea squirts, and other organisms that build the reef ecosystem.

You can learn more about this amazing habitat at the Gray's Reef Ocean Discovery Center in Savannah, GA.

Plan your visit to the Discovery Center at the link below
https://graysreef.noaa.gov/visit/centers/

Content by Nick Zachar/NOAA.

It takes a lot to study the ocean depths! Join us and NOAA Ship Nancy Foster on June 21st from 12:00 - 3:00 p.m. to lear...
06/04/2026

It takes a lot to study the ocean depths! Join us and NOAA Ship Nancy Foster on June 21st from 12:00 - 3:00 p.m. to learn about the amazing equipment required for the 2026 Ecological Ecosystem Assessment.

More details about the event can be found at the link below.
https://graysreef.noaa.gov/news/calendar.html

Content by NOAA.

This could be your view! Explore NOAA Ship Nancy Foster on June 21st from 12:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. Talk to Gray's Reef sci...
06/03/2026

This could be your view! Explore NOAA Ship Nancy Foster on June 21st from 12:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. Talk to Gray's Reef scientists and NOAA Corp officers about life at sea.

More details about the event can be found at the link below.
https://graysreef.noaa.gov/news/calendar.html

Content by NOAA.

🌎🌊 Join us on June 6th in celebrating World Ocean Day at the Gray's Reef Ocean Discovery Center! Meet the life-size infl...
06/02/2026

🌎🌊 Join us on June 6th in celebrating World Ocean Day at the Gray's Reef Ocean Discovery Center! Meet the life-size inflatable North Atlantic right whale calf, Lefty, then learn about microplastics in the afternoon! This event is completely free, and we can't wait to see you there.

This event will run from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. We're located at 340 MLK Jr. BLVD. in Savannah, GA.

Content by NOAA

06/01/2026

Something big is coming to River Street in Savannah, GA!

NOAA Ship Nancy Foster is coming to town! Save the date for Sunday, June 21st from 12:00 - 3:00 p.m. for an incredible, behind-the-scenes, look at the 187-ft vessel that is perfectly equipped for the upcoming 2026 Gray's Reef Southeast Ecosystem Assessment. Hosted by Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary, the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, and NOAA Ship Nancy Foster.

More details can be found at the link below.
https://graysreef.noaa.gov/news/calendar.html

Content by NOAA. Music by Universal Production Music.

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