14 DAY TRIAL // Officials with the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) say that they have recently designated a portion of the existing, 22-square mile Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary off the Georgia coast a research area.
This implies that the southern half of the 57-square-kilometer area is now off-limits to people seeking to spend their free time diving or fishing for recreation. The goal of this limitation is to provide experts with an area in which to study how ecosystems evolve naturally over time.
The measure will take effect only after Congress completes a 45-day review. NOAA was looking for a region in which human activities would not affect study results in the slightest. In total, the research area will cover 8 square miles, or 20.7 square kilometers.
“Having an area where scientists can compare natural processes with human-induced change in the sanctuary will help us better understand how humans affect live-bottom habitats like Gray’s Reef,” the sanctuary superintendent, NOAA expert George Sedberry, explains.