▁and ▁the ▁sand y ▁bottom s . ▁It ▁has ▁been ▁a ▁function ing ▁research ▁program ▁since ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 7 0 s ▁when ▁it ▁was ▁called ▁the ▁Investig ations ▁of ▁Marine ▁Sh allow - W ater ▁E cos ystem s ▁( I MS WE ) ▁ ▁Research ▁over ▁the ▁years ▁The ▁site ▁grew ▁quickly ▁and ▁within ▁ten ▁years , ▁ 6 5 ▁scient ists ▁and ▁gradu ate ▁students ▁worked ▁at ▁the ▁station , ▁and ▁more ▁than ▁ 1 0 0 ▁research ▁papers ▁were ▁published ▁on ▁the ▁fa una , ▁fl ora , ▁and ▁ge ology ▁of ▁the ▁re ef . ▁To ▁date , ▁there ▁have ▁been ▁over ▁ 5 0 0 ▁publications ▁based ▁on ▁research ▁done ▁at ▁the ▁station . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁Early ▁years ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 2 ▁the ▁Car rie ▁Bow ▁C ay ▁location ▁was ▁chosen ▁for ▁its ▁r amp ant ▁growth , ▁its ▁se cluded ▁location , ▁its ▁size ▁and ▁its ▁distance ▁on ▁land ▁research ▁cent ers . ▁Between ▁ 1 9 7 2 - 1 9 7 5 ▁there ▁were ▁very ▁few ▁resources ▁and ▁equipment ▁when ▁the ▁program ▁was ▁getting ▁started . ▁The ▁program ' s ▁initial ▁object ives ▁were ▁to ▁make ▁maps ▁of ▁the ▁area ▁and ▁where ▁near ▁re ef s ▁were ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁to ▁identify ▁key ▁species ▁in ▁the ▁e cos ystem . ▁ ▁Next ▁Step ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 5 ▁a ▁grant ▁from ▁Ex x on ▁Corporation ▁was ▁awarded , ▁which ▁double d ▁the ▁fund ing ▁of ▁the ▁CC RE