R/V Nancy Foster

By Ian Adelman

To the casual observer, it appeared as if every marine scientist from the Georgia coast had descended upon Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary. The working deck of the R/V Nancy Foster, a NOAA research vessel temporarily stationed at Gray’s Reef, might as well have been the center of the marine science world. A big gag grouper was having an acoustic tag surgically embedded in its body cavity while other specimens circled in holding tanks, waiting their turn. Dive tanks hissed as they were topped off for afternoon descents. The crew’s radios crackled with communication as one of the dive boats came and went. All of these sights and sounds were playing out over the drone of the Foster’s engines because this scientific hub was not sitting still. She was making her way through Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary, allowing seawater to bubble through a system that monitors salinity, temperature, pH, and carbon dioxide. Even at night, while the researchers download their underwater computers and cameras and input data from their dive slates, the Foster is crisscrossing the ocean along the edge of the reef so that incredibly sensitive sonar can map new areas of the seafloor.

Research questions such as, what type of habitat the snapper and grouper prefer, how much they relate to one spot, when and where they spawn, and how reef organisms cope with changes in water acidity were in the process of being answered. This was science in action, and the media was doing their best to stay out of the way.

“The Foster is collecting data 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” said Operations Officer, Lieutenant Abigail Higgins, during our royal tour of the ship. Randy Rudd, a volunteer diver enjoying his first stint aboard the Foster, reiterated the constant activity. “This ship never stops!” The Gray’s Reef research cruise began May 16 and ends June 8—a little over three weeks of non-stop data gathering.

The main research mission of the first leg is a fish tagging study. Acoustic tags are being implanted into red snapper, gag grouper, and scamp grouper, which will communicate with underwater receivers to record the movements of the fish. It sounds simple at first, but a successful study requires the collaboration of the DNR, the University of Georgia Marine Extension Service, Savannah State University, volunteer divers, and, of course, Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary.

DNR staff members aboard the R/V Marguerite, as well as volunteer anglers aboard one of the Sanctuary’s vessels, are responsible for most of the catching. Karin Paquin and Devin Dumont from the UGA Aquarium are the animal husbandry team. They carefully handle the fish, assist with the surgeries, and then monitor their recovery 24 hours a day to ensure a maximum survival rate. While the catching and tagging is going on at the surface, the divers are on the bottom documenting each fishing site, counting fish and other organisms, visually mapping the bottom structures, and placing new acoustic receivers to expand the study area.

When the cruise is complete, they hope to tag 41 fish, whose monitored movements will lead to a better understanding of the habits of reef fish.

Fish, however, are not the only research subjects for scientists aboard the Foster. Dr. Scott Noakes of the Skidaway Institute for Oceanography is studying ocean acidity at Gray’s Reef. Our oceans absorb and release carbon dioxide. When the carbon dioxide in the water increases, its pH decreases, which means it becomes more acidic. Scientists across the world are trying to understand how an increase in carbon dioxide in our atmosphere will affect the oceans. Calcifying organisms such as shellfish, corals, and many plankton species that form the base of the food chain may not be able to form their calcium carbonate structures if the seawater is too acidic.

At Gray’s Reef, scientists utilize a buoy that can measure the pH of the surface water. Dr. Noakes has also helped to place one of the only seafloor carbon dioxide monitors (from carbon dioxide levels, pH can be calculated) at Gray’s Reef. By having the surface and seafloor monitors, Noakes said, “we can try to understand how well the water is mixed.” He is finding that the water is not evenly mixed and that there are big, temporary spikes in ocean acidity, so, according to Noakes, the question now is, “how do the organisms respond to the short term changes?” From the research at Gray’s Reef, Noakes hopes to be able to understand what may happen in the future if our oceans become more acidic.

While the Nancy Foster is at Gray’s Reef, she will play host for the aforementioned data gathering missions as well as numerous others that could not be described here. Her stay will lead to a better understanding of what is happening in local waters, but even after she steams away for a new destination, the science will continue. Through the coordination, stewardship, and resources provided by the staff at Gray’s Reef, scientists and the public will continue to have access to one of the ocean’s natural wonders.

Thank you to all for transporting me, hosting me, feeding me, answering endless questions, and letting me look over your shoulder while you tried to do your job. Thank you!