school of fish in background
homeabout your sanctuaryvisiting your sanctuaryeducationsciencemanagementnews and eventsprotecting resourcesimage librarydocument libraryopportunities volunteersadvisory councilpartnersNOAA logo - a circle with a stylized seabird in flight; background is dark blue above the bird and light blue below the bird.
Close up view of Christmas tree worms protruding from a coral head

Picture yourself over 100 miles from land, in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico. At times, the seas can be very unforgiving, and the weather can turn foul in an instant. But here, in the midst of this unpredictable Gulf, lie three of the most beautiful and wild places in all the world. Manta rays, whale sharks, coral heads bigger than cars, hundreds of species of fish and invertebrates... This place teems with life!

Black & white line drawing of a generic monthly calendar page

Advisory Council Meeting

The next meeting of the Sanctuary Advisory Council will take place Wednesday, November 18 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the sanctuary offices in Galveston. Agenda items include a sanctuary update, management plan revision, Ocean Policy Taskforce, and ocean acidifcation. The public is invited to attend and may provide comment during a public forum period.

Access meeting agenda...

Healthiest Reefs in Gulf of Mexico

Coral reef scene showing boulders of coral piled on top of one another with blue water above.Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary is among the healthiest coral reef ecosystems in the tropical Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico, according to a new NOAA report.

Learn more...

Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary
4700 Avenue U, Building 216
Galveston, TX 77551
p) 409-621-5151
f) 409-621-1316
flowergarden@noaa.gov



weather report observations cool stuff get wet


French angelfish in foreground; large boulder corals in background.  French angelfish is dinner plate size oval shaped, blue body with body scales bright yellow on their edges.
   
National Marine Sanctuary logo - a stylized whale tail above waves