INTRO
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The Flower Garden Banks NMS is one of 14 federally designated underwater areas protected by NOAA's National Marine Sanctuary Program. Located 70
to 115 miles off the coasts of Texas and Louisiana,
these underwater communities rise from the depths of the Gulf of Mexico atop underwater mountains called
salt domes. The sanctuary actually protects three separate areas: East Flower Garden Bank, West Flower
Garden Bank and Stetson Bank. These banks are
separated from each other by miles of open ocean ranging
from 200 to 400 feet (61-122 meters) deep, and each bank has its own set of boundaries. Management of
the sanctuary is accomplished by a staff
of eight full-time employees through a
combination of education, science, resource protection and regulatory programs.
HISTORY
The Flower Garden Banks were discovered
by snapper and grouper fishermen in the
late 1800's. They named the banks after
the brightly colored sponges, plants,
and other marine life they sometimes snagged
and brought to the surface. Continued
interest in the biological diversity and
breathtaking beauty of the reefs at East
and West Flower Garden Banks led to their
designation as a sanctuary under the National Marine Sanctuary Act (NMSA) (160kb pdf) in 1992. The coral-sponge communities of Stetson Bank were added to the sanctuary in 1996. More
about the sanctuary's history.
NATURAL SETTING
Understanding the complexities of the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary's local ecosystems requires learning about all of the components of the natural setting, including the underlying geology, all of the various habitats within the sanctuary, the larger context of the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem and the watershed that drains into it, as well as the individual plants and animals found within the sanctuary.
