NATURAL SETTING
The natural setting in which the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary is situated is
the key to protecting this national treasure. It is crucial that we understand the complexities
of the sanctuary's local ecosystem and the interplay of individual plant and animal populations.
It is also vital that we understand the larger context of the surrounding Gulf of Mexico ecosystem
and watershed that influence, and are influenced by, the sanctuary. Gaining this understanding
is a continuous process. In this section, we have summarized the knowledge gained thus far.
Documents on Sanctuary Setting
| Physical Setting |
| Regional Context (neighboring banks, current patterns, watershed) |
.pdf (40kb)
html |
| Geology (Stetson Bank) |
.pdf (12kb)
html |
Sanctuary Habitats
(coral cap, deep reefs, platform) |
.pdf (20kb)
html |
| Animal Populations |
|
Fish Cleaning Behavior
|
.pdf (12kb)
html |
|
Coral Spawning
|
.pdf (12kb)
html |
| Natural & Human Impacts |
|
Nutrient Stress
|
.pdf (16kb)
html |
|
