At their meeting on May 9, 2018, the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (FGBNMS) Advisory Council voted to accept the recommendation for sanctuary expansion proposed by its Boundary Expansion Working Group (BEWG). The council’s recommendation supports expansion of FGBNMS through inclusion of 14 additional reefs and banks in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico. If this recommendation is accepted by NOAA, it would expand the sanctuary by approximately 150 square miles, bringing the total area of the sanctuary to 206 square miles.
Manta rays have long been a favorite for divers and a focal species for Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary. But, what do we really know about them? Joshua Stewart, a NOAA ONMS Nancy Foster Scholar and an Associate Director of The Manta Trust, will present on the latest manta research being conducted in the sanctuary.
If you missed participating in this great webinar on May 17th, no problem. We recorded the full webinar.
Listen in to learn about the manta rays of the Flower Garden Banks: What are they doing in the sanctuary? Why are mantas at FGBNMS so small? What questions about mantas remain to be answered in the Gulf of Mexico?
Note: The first 10 minutes of the recording are mostly silence as we waited for people to finish logging in. We just started the recording a bit early.
The sanctuary research team was involved in 19 research cruises and expeditions during the 2017 field season, including the use of R/V MANTA for a total of 51 days. During the course of these expeditions, 28 NOAA divers, scientists, and reciprocity divers conducted 665 scuba dives.
Research activities included biological surveys and sample collection, response to Hurricane Harvey, continued response to the 2016 mortality and bleaching event, removal of invasive species, equipment installationa and maintenance, image collection, guardian mask training, hydraulic drilling training, and dive safety training. Twelve sanctuary permits were processed, and an additional nine are ongoing.
HI-A-389A is a gas production platform located within sanctuary boundaries at East Flower Garden Bank. It has come to the end of its productive life and is slated for removal. Based on the public’s desire to keep a portion of the structure in place for fishing and diving, the top portion of the structure will be removed down to 65 feet. The lower portion, from 65-400 feet, will remain in place.
The document package below includes background material for this partial removal and the Environmental Assessments pertaining to the development of an artificial reef within the sanctuary. Additional information is under development and will be shared as it becomes available. For further information or questions, please contact Emma.Hickerson@noaa.gov
Can’t get to your national marine sanctuaries? Thanks to the wonders of 360-degree photography and virtual reality, these underwater treasures are now just a few mouse clicks away.
NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries has launched a virtual dive gallery, complete with immersive 360-degree views of five national marine sanctuaries including the Flower Garden Banks.
Would you like to receive regular updates about sanctuary news and events? Want to learn more about diving and fishing issues in the Gulf of Mexico? Or perhaps you'd like to know more about volunteer or research opportunities? Maybe education resources?
We have 6 different email lists designed to keep people informed on these sanctuary-related topics. All you have to do is sign up!
Building on more than 30 years of studies and numerous reports released in the last decade calling for additional protections, NOAA’s Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary is proposing to expand its boundaries to protect areas of national significance off the coasts of Texas and Louisiana in the Gulf of Mexico. This map shows the preferred alternative for expansion as explained in our Draft Environmental Impact Statement. Learn More...
