Ahoy SIBC Members!
On February 28th a group of 20 SIBC members had a unique Cuban lunch at Rancho Alegre and after a very short walk, were able to tour Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary Ocean Discovery Center. Our host and presenter was Emily Little, the Education and Outreach Coordinator for Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary Ocean Discovery Center. She provided a unique overview of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and their involvement with Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary. She then went into what and where Grays Reef Marine Sanctuary is, the reason it is unique and why it is preserved as a Marine Sanctuary. She gave us an overview of the research that is being conducted at Gray’s Reef and showed us some of the unique creatures that inhabit the reef. Following her presentation and question and answer session, SIBC members were able to wander around the Discovery Center reviewing all the fascinating exhibits that were there. The highlight of the tour was virtual reality exhibit that allowed our members to actually dive down to the reef and view the live-bottom habitats teeming with ocean life. This gave non-swimmers a feel of how unique scuba diving to a reef teaming with all kinds of sea creatures is. Lunch at Rancho Alegre and tour of Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary Ocean Discovery Center was very informative and a good time was had by all.