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How a Small Stretch of Ocean Stirred a Conservation Movement

Associated Press

   SAVANNAH, GA. - From the surface, these 22 square miles of water are
   unexceptional.

   But dip beneath the surface -- go down 60 or 70 feet -- and you'll find
   a spectacular seascape. Sponges, barnacles and tube worms cover rocky
   ledges on the ocean floor, forming a "live bottom."

   Gray's Reef is little more than a drop in the ocean 19 miles off the
   Georgia coast, but don't confuse size for significance. In one of his
   last official acts, President Jimmy Carter declared the reef a national
   marine sanctuary at the urging of conservationists who said its
   abundance of life was unique and worth saving for future generations.

   For nearly 40 years, the U.S. government has protected the reef, home
   to more than 200 species of fish and an amazing array of nearly 1,000
   different kinds of invertebrates. Recreational fishing and diving are
   allowed, but commercial fishing and other kinds of exploitation are
   not.

   And Gray's Reef has served as a global inspiration. Following the lead
   of the U.S., other nations have designated similar sanctuaries and
   protected areas, which now cover about 6% of the world's oceans -- a
   bonanza for researchers but, more importantly, an important tool for
   safeguarding the seas.

   Doubts remain about how much of the ocean they can truly save. Last
   year was the hottest on record for the planet's oceans, and protected
   areas can't slow the biggest source of that warming -- increasing
   greenhouse gases. The federal government says more than 90% of the
   warming that has occurred on the planet over the past half-century has
   taken place in the ocean.

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