Artificial reefs are human-made structures that are either deliberately or unintentionally submerged underwater, commonly with the result of mimicking some characteristics of a natural reef. Artificial reefs alter local habitat by providing hard substrate and complex vertical relief where typically none previously existed (Bohnsack and Sutherland 1985, Sheehy and Vik 1992, Sheehy and Vik 2010). They may be created from a variety of sources and materials including the intentional sinking of ships and barges, rubble, concrete, rocks, stone, boulders, steel, and metal, etc. (Baine 2001). They may also be created through unintentional means (e.g., shipwrecks that can become historical in nature) and through structures built for other purposes (e.g., decommissioned oil and gas platforms, breakwaters1, jetties, bridges, offshore lighthouses, air force towers, navigational aids, marine data buoys, etc.). These various materials have benefits and drawbacks when used in artificial reef construction.

The authors detail why monitoring the current status and population trends of fish communities and their habitats is an important tool for preserving and conserving aquatic resources in the national parks. The framework for monitoring small streams located in HTLN parks is directed towards maintaining their ecological integrity, which will be assessed through periodic monitoring of fish communities, physical habitat, and water quality. The authors describe the protocol which has been designed to incorporate the spatial relationship of biotic indicators with chemical constituents and physical habitat.

Coral reefs worldwide and suffering a decline. This decline is a result of damage from ship groundings, point-source pollution, dynamite fishing, and ubiquitous but poorly understood effects of disease, coastal nutrification, and global warming.

This is the first taxonomic guide of deep sea organisms for the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary. From April 21 to 27, 2011, the NOAA ship Okeanos Explorer started their field season with a shakedown cruise primarily to field test equipment. The cruise also provided an opportunity to conduct multibeam mapping and a series of exploratory dives using the Little Hercules Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) in Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary. The ROV explored areas that had not been surveyed previously. Video of these opportunistic dives was analyzed for habitat types, species, and species associations. The species observations from the dives are recorded in this taxonomic guide to provide baseline characterization for this underexplored habitat in the sanctuary. This guide will be amended as more studies are added or completed.

This research is part of the Socioeconomic Research & Monitoring Program for the NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries. In 2010, a baseline study of users and non-users of Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary (GRNMS) was initiated. Mail surveys were designed in 2010 and implemented in 2011 and 2012. The study provides baseline data on the knowledge, attitudes and perceptions of users and non-users of GRNMS in regard to management strategies and regulations. It also provides information on socioeconomic/demographic profiles, activity participation and use of coastal and ocean waters off the Georgia coast both inside and outside GRNMS. The surveys collected data on sources of public information on GRNMS used and the amount of trust in sources used, familiarity with GRNMS rules and regulations, and attitudes about selected management strategies for coastal and ocean resources both inside and outside GRNMS. For users of GRNMS, perceptions of resource conditions were also addressed.

Each story stands alone. Believe it or not these are the facts and they happened to me. No matter how incredible they may seem, they are all true. Enjoy these short journeys into my life and world. You will come away remembering them, and I got to personally experience them.

This report is the "Technical Appendix" for users version 2 as found in Leeworthy (2013) and documents the statistical tests that were done for comparing users version 1 and 2 surveys and the statistical tests for differences between the responses by users and non-users to version 2 survey questions on various policy/management strategies included in version 2 surveys.