Bringing Gray’s Reef to the People in Savannah

By Joel R. Johnson, President & CEO of the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation

Standing in downtown Savannah at the grand reopening of the Gray’s Reef Ocean Discovery Center, I was reminded how powerful it can be when the ocean comes to the people. 

Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary lies about 20 miles offshore—a remarkable underwater landscape of ledges, reef communities, and marine life that many people will never have the chance to see firsthand. Yet through the newly reopened Ocean Discovery Center, that hidden world is now accessible to everyone who walks through the door. 

That idea—that the ocean belongs to all of us—is at the heart of the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation’s vision of Waters for All. 

For me, that vision is also personal. 

My family has deep Gullah Geechee roots along Georgia’s coast, and like so many families in the region, our connection to the ocean is generational. The coast has always been a place of work, sustenance, and culture. It’s also where I learned to fish—where time on the water becomes a teacher and a reminder that the ocean gives us more than we often realize. 

Places like Gray’s Reef remind us why protecting that connection matters. 

Gray’s Reef is one of the largest nearshore live-bottom reefs in the southeastern United States. Beneath its waters, vibrant ecosystems thrive—schools of fish weaving through rocky ledges, loggerhead sea turtles passing through the currents, and sponges and corals forming a living structure on the seafloor. However, because the sanctuary is offshore, it has often been out of sight for most people visiting Georgia’s coast. The Ocean Discovery Center changes that. 

Located in the heart of Savannah, the center allows visitors to experience Gray’s Reef through immersive exhibits, interactive science, and stories from the scientists who study the sanctuary. It is a gateway to understanding one of the country’s most important marine protected areas—without needing a boat or dive gear. 

Savannah and the surrounding region, from Hilton Head to Sapelo Island, draw more than 13 million visitors annually, many of whom come for the history, culture, and beauty of coastal Georgia. Now, the Ocean Discovery Center adds something new to that experience: a chance to explore the living ocean just beyond the horizon. 

In doing so, the center quite literally brings the ocean floor to the people. 

The reopening of the Discovery Center also comes at an important moment nationally. 

New data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis’ Outdoor Recreation Satellite Account shows that outdoor recreation is a major driver of the American economy, generating over $1 trillion in economic output and supporting more than five million jobs across the country. 

Coastal and ocean recreation—from boating and fishing to diving and wildlife viewing—is a major part of that economy. And here in coastal Georgia, Gray’s Reef plays a measurable role. 

A 2023 economic contribution study examining visitation and ocean recreation around Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary found that ocean recreation in the region generates about $1.4 billion in annual visitor spending, supporting nearly 19,000 jobs and producing $1.8 billion in total economic output. Within that broader regional economy, recreation tied directly to the sanctuary itself contributes over $123 million annually, supporting more than 1,700 jobs across coastal Georgia. 

These numbers tell an important story. 

When we protect places like Gray’s Reef, we are not just safeguarding biodiversity. We are strengthening local economies, supporting coastal communities, and ensuring that future generations can continue to benefit from the ocean. The Discovery Center is part of a broader network of learning across Georgia’s coast. 

From the exhibits and programs at the UGA Marine Education Center and Aquarium on Skidaway Island to partnerships with local schools and museums, the story of Gray’s Reef is being shared in ways that reach far beyond the sanctuary’s boundaries. These connections are critical because sanctuaries work best when communities see themselves reflected in them. 

That’s exactly what the Ocean Discovery Center achieves. It turns a distant marine ecosystem into a shared community resource—a place where students, families, and visitors can explore the science, culture, and stewardship of our ocean. None of this happens without real partnership. 

We are deeply grateful to Visit Savannah, the Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce, local leaders and businesses, and the many partners who recognize that healthy oceans and healthy economies go hand in hand. Their leadership helps ensure that coastal Georgia continues to thrive both environmentally and economically. 

Most importantly, this work is made possible by the extraordinary team at NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries and the dedicated staff of Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary, including Superintendent Stan Rogers and Director John Armor, and educators like Danielle Oxman. 

National marine sanctuaries protect some of the most extraordinary waters in the United States—from coral reefs in the Pacific to shipwrecks in the Great Lakes. 

But their real power lies in their power to connect people to the ocean, which can happen on a dive boat, on a fishing trip, in a classroom—or now, in the middle of downtown Savannah. 

Through the Gray’s Reef Ocean Discovery Center, millions of visitors each year will now have the opportunity to discover a remarkable ecosystem just offshore, understand why it matters, and see how conservation and community prosperity can go hand in hand. 

That’s what Waters for All is about. 

Because when people see themselves in the ocean’s story, they become part of protecting it. 

And that is how the future of our ocean—and our coastal communities—will be secured.