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Press
Release
FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
NOAA 02 r408
CONTACT:
Cathy Sakas
(912) 598-2345 April 04, 2002
OCEAN FEST 2002 AT GRAY'S REEF NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY
The Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary off the coast of Georgia will sponsor the 4th annual Gray's Reef Ocean Fest on April 13, on Savannah's River Street at Rousakis Plaza. The Ocean Fest mixes educational activities and family entertainment to raise awareness of the sanctuary's ecosystem and the ocean environment of Georgia's Low Country.
Gray's Reef is one of 13 national marine sanctuaries run by the National Ocean Service of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). NOAA is an agency of the Department of Commerce.
"Ocean Fest is a fun way to encourage education and understanding about the ocean and the sanctuary's surrounding environment," said Cathy Sakas, NOAA's Gray's Reef Sanctuary education coordinator. "We want to help children and adults appreciate this important part of our community."
Festivities will begin at noon when local organizations conduct hands-on ocean environment activities for all ages. Visitors can enjoy Plaza dockside boat tours aboard the Skidaway Institute of Oceanography's research vessel Savannah. Local bands will provide live entertainment throughout the day including rock-and-roll from Call the Cops and toe-tapping golden oldies from The World Famous Crabettes. An annual Kid's Art and Poetry Contest will showcase the talents of local elementary students and ribbons will be awarded to the winning entries. Ocean Fest festivities end at 5:00 p.m.
Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary, designated in 1981, is one of the largest near-shore sandstone reefs in the southeastern United States. Because of the diversity of marine life, Gray's Reef attracts sport fishing and diving vessels from along the Georgia coast.
Named in recognition of Milton B. Gray, a biological collector and curator at the University of Georgia Marine Institute, who studied the area during the 1960s, it's located 32 kilometers (17.5 nautical miles) off Sapelo Island, Georgia.
Sanctuary boundaries protect 17 square miles of open ocean. Sandstone outcroppings and ledges up to ten feet in height separate the sandy, flat-bottomed troughs in a reef that combines temperate and tropical qualities. The rocky platform, some 60 to 70 feet below the Atlantic Ocean's surface, is wreathed in a carpet of attached organisms and is known locally as a "live bottom habitat." This flourishing ecosystem provides not only vertical relief, but also a solid base for the abundant invertebrates to attach to and grow upon. Grouper, black sea bass, mackerel, and angelfish and a host of other fish are attracted by the reef.
Like the national parks, marine areas identified for their biodiversity, ecological integrity, and cultural legacy could now receive protection through the National Marine Sanctuary Program. The program, administered by NOAA, was created in Title III of the Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act of 1972.
Three decades later, the national marine sanctuaries are found in the Pacific and Atlantic oceans and off the coast of American Samoa. They include breeding and feeding grounds of whales, sea lions, sharks, and sea turtles; significant coral reefs and kelp forest habitats; and the remains of the U.S. Monitor, a Civil War ironclad sunk off the coast of North Carolina.
Today thirteen national marine sanctuaries protect more than 18,000 square miles of ocean and coasts. For more information about the Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary visit http://www.graysreef.nos.noaa.gov. Information on the other national marine sanctuaries is also available at the NOAA homepage.
NOAA's Ocean Service (NOS) manages Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary, and is dedicated to exploring, understanding, conserving, and restoring the nation's coasts and oceans. NOS balances environmental protection with economic prosperity in fulfilling its mission of promoting safe navigation, supporting coastal communities, sustaining coastal habitats, and mitigating coastal hazards. To learn more about NOS, please visit http://www.nos.noaa.gov.
