Around the Reef

By Portia Miller Communications Intern Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary

Although June 8 has been named World Ocean Day, we need not limit our opportunities to reflect on one of our greatest natural resources to just one day. Given that this year’s theme was “The Ocean: Lives and Livelihoods,” let’s take a step back and look at how the ocean truly impacts us and dive into our local example at Gray’s Reef.

The ocean doesn’t just provide us with scenic views and beautiful vacation spots. It actually helps keep us alive. Most importantly, the ocean provides at least half of the air we breathe – somewhere between 50 and 80%. But how does this happen? Small creatures that live in the ocean, like algae, bacteria, and drifting plants, absorb sunlight and use it to make their own food, releasing oxygen as a result. These creatures are known scientifically as oceanic plankton. While plankton can be tiny, they have the potential to create more oxygen than all our tropical rainforests combined!

Aside from providing us oxygen, the ocean also affects our livelihoods. We don’t just use it for fishing, swimming, and diving; we use the ocean’s resources to grow our economy and create jobs around the world. According to the World Bank, there are many parts to this “Blue Economy,” including catching seafood, creating energy from the ocean, and trading goods across the sea. People who work in the tourism industry, like on our well-loved Tybee Island, bring in over 50 billion dollars each year combined. Clearly, thousands of jobs revolve around the ocean - in fact, NOAA estimates that our Blue Economy will double by 2030, bringing its value to 3 trillion dollars!

We now know the ocean contributes to our lives and livelihoods - but why “Ocean Day” and not “Oceans Day”? Why do we hear both words so often? While our global body of water is formally known as the Ocean, it’s actually divided up into five different ocean basins, which are giant valleys on the seafloor. The Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, Antarctic, and Arctic basins make up the geographically divided areas. Within these basins, there are over 15,000 protected ocean areas, with 1,000 of them being in United States waters, according to the Pew Trusts. These areas protect habitats, animals, and natural wonders such as reefs, as well as making sure that our Blue Economy stays strong with positive impacts on the environment. This brings us to our treasured protected area close to home: Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary.

Gray’s Reef is one of only 14 National Marine Sanctuaries in the United States. Known as a “live-bottom” sandstone reef, it’s a perfect example of the ocean’s own life, beauty and strength. Thousands of spineless animals such as sponges and coral cover the rocky ledges of the reef, making the sea floor come alive with color and movement. These plentiful ledges provide shelter and food for larger marine life, many of which are endangered or threatened. For example, the threatened loggerhead sea turtle – one of the sanctuary’s most recognized creatures – can often be found resting and hunting for food in and around the reef. And remember those important creatures called oceanic plankton that provide us with nearly 50-80% of our oxygen? Gray’s Reef is also home to an abundance of them. Larger versions, such as red algae and seaweed, can also be seen floating and covering the hard bottom of Gray’s Reef.

They not only provide oxygen for us, but also provide food for turtles, fish, and crabs, along with helping some corals remove the waste they produce.

Protecting, learning, and caring for Gray’s Reef also creates tons of jobs – part of the Blue Economy. Gray’s Reef employs researchers, data analysts, and resource protection specialists, just to name a few. Without these jobs, we wouldn’t understand what’s going on beneath our waters. Researchers and analysts provide much needed information about the reef’s ecosystem, including what types of animals live there permanently and which ones move back and forth between other waterways. Collecting data also allows us to understand how to take care of the reef. Knowing that the reef has a live bottom, for example, informs resource managers as they make decisions that protect living resources. The regulation that prohibits anchoring at Gray’s Reef is to prevent harm to the delicate animals on the bottom.

Being aware of the ocean’s biological and economic impacts is important, and to make sure we continue to see these benefits in the future, we must practice careful conservation here at home and around the globe. Explore and learn more about your local marine sanctuary!

Benthic algae grow on the hard-bottom ledges of Gray’s Reef, serving as food, energy, and shelter. Photo by Greg McFall/NOAA

For Information contact Michelle Riley: (912) 598-2417 michelle.riley@noaa.gov