![A colorful parrotfish appears to be giving a high five to a white long-spined urchin using its pectoral fin](/img/header/socialmediaimagesheadergps1000.jpg)
This is a collection of images used on the sanctuary's social media pages, that are not otherwise represented on our website. You'll find photos from events, behind-the-scenes activities, special days, memes, and more.
If you like what you see, consider following us on Facebook, X, or Instagram.
![A small star coral colony sits inside a circular opening in a large brain coral.](/img/socialmedia/050124coralinacoralmfn.jpg)
A star coral growing in the middle of a brain coral--just another example of how corals take advantage of whatever space they can find to settle on and grow. (Photo Credit: Marissa Nuttall/FGBNMS)
![A video screen grab with transparent colored rectangles surrounding each coral in the image.](/img/socialmedia/042424clickacoral1000.jpg)
Click A Coral: People can volunteer to help NOAA scientists and partners build a training dataset to help AI automatically recognize coral found in these images, and significantly speed up the process of labeling and identifying coral in future videos. (Photo Credit: NOAA)
![A FGBNMS bookmark sits in the crease of an open book.](/img/socialmedia/042324fgbnmsbookmarkinbooktcg.jpg)
Flower Garden Banks bookmarks are a great addition to any book you are reading. Pick one up the next time you see us at a community event. (Photo Credit: Taylor Galaviz/FGBNMS)
![A woman in a blue uniform stands in front of a boat](/img/socialmedia/041924desdaatmanta.jpg)
Desda Sisson is a NOAA Corps Officer assigned to the sanctuary. Her job is to oversee all operations pertaining to R/V MANTA, the sanctuary's research vessel. (Photo Credit: FGBNMS)
![A FGBNMS bookmark sits in the crease of an open book.](/img/socialmedia/041724rhodolithcrosssection_saraholmstead1000.jpg)
Rhodoliths, also referred to as algal nodules, are rocks made of hard, crustose forms of algae. These are found at mesophotic depths within the sanctuary. (Photo Credit: Sarah Olmstead/University of Alabama)
![Scrabble tiles spell out Apply Now in the top corner of a photo of people meeting around a u-shaped table](/img/socialmedia/041224applynowsacmeetingmaj.jpg)
The deadline to apply for seven open seats on the Sanctuary Advisory Council was Monday, April 15, 2024. (Photo Credit: Michelle Johnston/FGBNMS)
![A woman standing next to a screen with a picture of a lionfish on it.](/img/socialmedia/040524lionfishpresentationkld.jpg)
Taylor speaking about invasive lionfish to Aquatic Science students at Dickinson High School. (Photo Credit: Kelly Drinnen/FGBNMS)
![Three partially thawed lionfish sitting in a dissection tray.](/img/socialmedia/040524thawedlionfishkld.jpg)
Partially thawed lionfish await dissection at Dickinson High School. (Photo Credit: Kelly Drinnen/FGBNMS)
![A dead lionfish rests on a cutting board with scissors, a ruler, and a probe lying nearby.](/img/socialmedia/040524liofishoncuttingboardkld.jpg)
Lionfish dissections were part of the learning at Dickinson High School. (Photo Credit: Kelly Drinnen/FGBNMS)
![A FGBNMS bookmark sits in the crease of an open book.](/img/socialmedia/040524gutcontentskld.jpg)
An adult damselfish and a large red night shrimp were two of the species found in the stomachs of dissected lionfish at Dickinson High School. (Photo Credit: Kelly Drinnen/FGBNMS)
![A data sheet for recording lionfish info sits on a table in the foreground while a woman dissects a lionfish in the background.](/img/socialmedia/040524datasheetkld.jpg)
Lionfish dissections provide valuable data on lionfish populations in the Gulf of Mexico. (Photo Credit: Kelly Drinnen/FGBNMS)
![A small coral colony with white scrape marks across the top.](/img/socialmedia/040324parrotfishbitesoncoralkld.jpg)
This coral has been gnawed on by hungry parrotfish, scraping their beak-like teeth across the surface. They can't digest the hard skeleton, so it comes back out the other end as sand! (Photo Credit: Kelly Drinnen/FGBNMS)
![A smooth trunkfish that has been colored purple.](/img/socialmedia/040124purpletrunkfishelh.jpg)
When Easter fever strikes, it alters the colors of reef fish, making them look like pastel-hued Easter eggs bobbing about the reef. April Fools! (Original Photo Credit: Emma Hickerson/FGBNMS)
![A smooth trunkfish that has been colored purple and had graphic bunny ears added.](/img/socialmedia/040124purpletrunkfishbunnyearselh.jpg)
Next thing you know, fish will be sprouting rabbit ears, as well. April Fools! (Original Photo Credit: Emma Hickerson/FGBNMS)
![Advisory council members seated around a u-shaped table facing a screen at the front of the room.](/img/socialmedia/032624sacmeetingmaj.jpg)
FGBNMS sought applicants for seven seats on its advisory council. Applications were due April 15, 2024. (Photo Credit: Michelle Johnston/FGBNMS)
![Marine Science Thru Art webinar information with photo of presenter on a background of watercolor circles in various colors](/img/socialmedia/032024marinesciencethruartpromo.jpg)
Marine Science Thru Art, a webinar to explore a variety of sanctuary-inspired art projects, was held March 20, 2024. (Photo Credit: NOAA Central Library)
![Heads of three divers bob at the water's surface next to a float with a red flag and a white diagonal stripe. A rainbow is faintly visible in the cloudy sky above.](/img/socialmedia/031524diversdiveflagelh1000.jpg)
Flower Garden Banks is the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. (Photo Credit: Emma Hickerson/FGBNMS)
![A FGBNMS bookmark sits in the crease of an open book.](/img/socialmedia/031124whitesharkmap.jpg)
In 2023, five white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) were detected in FGBNMS. This is the first confirmation of this species within sanctuary boundaries. (Credit: FGBNMS)
![Front end of a white and gray shark swimming just above a sandy bottom in hazy water.](/img/socialmedia/031124patagoniarose_watermarked_mdmf.jpg)
Four white sharks, detected on Bright, Geyer, Sidner, and Alderice Banks, were initially tagged off Cape Cod, MA, and Hilton Head, SC. A fifth white shark, tagged off Nova Scotia, Canada, was detected at Alderdice and McGrail Banks. (Photo Credit: Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries)
![Two scuba divers leaping into the water off the side of a boat, as three other people look on.](/img/socialmedia/030824diversleapingfromboatgps.jpg)
We're leaping into Daylight Savings Time and the beginning of our field season. (Photo Credit: G.P. Schmahl/FGBNMS)
![FGBNMS website on the screen of a laptop computer sitting on a desk next to a model of a coral polyp.](/img/socialmedia/030724websiteonlaptop.jpg)
FGBNMS accepted applications for a VSFS virtual internship to develop web content for the sanctuary. (Photo Credit: Taylor Galaviz/FGBNMS)
![Four people, with faces covered by sweating emojis, fishing from an anchored boat. A red prohibited symbol sits over the anchor line. A mooring buoy is visible in the distance behind them. Across the top it says, Don't be this boat!](/img/socialmedia/030624dontbethisboatkld.jpg)
Don't be this boat! Anchoring in the sanctuary is against the law. Mooring buoys are provided at East and West Flower Garden Banks, and Stetson Bank for this purpose.(Photo Credit: Kelly Drinnen/FGBNMS)
![Dates and times for fish ID classes overlaid on a background collage of various fish species.](/img/socialmedia/030424abcsoffishid1000.jpg)
ABCs of Fish ID classes were offered 3/26/24 and 5/14/24, for people interested in learning to identify 40-50 sanctuary reef fish species. (Credit: FGBNMS)
![Pixel art of a cocoa damselfish overlaid on the corner of a photo of the same fish.](/img/socialmedia/030124cocoadamselwpixelart1000.jpg)
Cocoa Damselfish and associated pixel art. (Photo Credit: G.P. Schmahl/FGBNMS)
![Pixel art of a scrawled filefish overlaid on the corner of a photo of the same fish.](/img/socialmedia/030124scrawledfilefishwpixelart1000.jpg)
Scrawled Filefish and associated pixel art. (Photo Credit: G.P. Schmahl/FGBNMS)
![Pixel art of a flamefish overlaid on the corner of a photo of the same fish.](/img/socialmedia/030124flamefishwpixelart1000.jpg)
Flamefish (Flame Cardinalfish) and associated pixel art. (Photo Credit: G.P. Schmahl/FGBNMS)
![Pixel art of a Spanish hogfish overlaid on the corner of a photo of the same fish.](/img/socialmedia/030124spanishhogfishwpixelart1000.jpg)
Spanish Hogfish and associated pixel art. (Photo Credit: G.P. Schmahl/FGBNMS)
![A yellow square with a purple rectangle at the top right overlaid by blue bars and squares.](/img/socialmedia/022824cocoadamselfishpixelart1000.jpg)
Pixel Art - Use the colors, pattern, and the following clue to identify the correct fish: Would you like some marshmallows with your hot drink, my lady? (Credit: Taylor Galaviz/FGBNMS)
![A pale green-gray square covered in smaller khaki squares and light blue lines.](/img/socialmedia/022824scrawledfilfishpixelart1000.jpg)
Pixel Art - Use the colors, pattern, and the following clue to identify the correct fish: Your penmanship is horrendous, maybe you should put away these documents. (Credit: Taylor Galaviz/FGBNMS)
![A pale red square with two smaller dark gray squares near the upper left corner.](/img/socialmedia/022824flamefishpixelart1000.jpg)
Pixel Art - Use the colors, pattern, and the following clue to identify the correct fish: Always cheering for that one team from St. Louis. (Credit: Taylor Galaviz/FGBNMS)
![A yellow square with a reddish rectangle in the upper left covered with small purple and lavender squares.](/img/socialmedia/022824spanishhogfishpixelart1000.jpg)
Pixel Art - Use the colors, pattern, and the following clue to identify the correct fish: Algo en espaƱol sobre un cerdo. (Credit: Taylor Galaviz/FGBNMS)
![Three sanctuary staff stand behind a table in a FGBNMS display booth.](/img/socialmedia/022624diveexpoboothkld.jpg)
FGBNMS booth at Dive into the Gulf: An Exposition at Moody Gardens on February 24, 2024. (Photo Credit: Kelly Drinnen/FGBNMS)
![A FGBNMS bookmark sits in the crease of an open book.](/img/socialmedia/022624misssupremeamericadiveexpokld.jpg)
Miss Supreme America stopped by the FGBNMS booth at Dive Expo. (Photo Credit: Kelly Drinnen/FGBNMS)
![An audience seated in front of a stage as a speaker stands at the podium on stage.](/img/socialmedia/022624marissatalkdiveexpomaj.jpg)
Marissa Nuttall was one of the presenters at Dive Expo. (Photo Credit: Michelle Johnston/FGBNMS)
![Three people stand in front of an aquarium exhibit as a diver swims by inside.](/img/socialmedia/022624researchdemodiveexpotcg.jpg)
Marissa Nuttall and Sasha Francis demonstrated long-term monitoring techniques in front of the South Pacific exhibit in the Moody Gardens Aquarium, as aquarium divers demonstrated from inside the exhibit. (Photo Credit: Taylor Galaviz/FGBNMS)
![A man operating an ROV from a table in front of an open topped aquarium exhibit.](/img/socialmedia/022624joshrovdiveexpotcg.jpg)
Josh Harvey operated a small ROV in the South Pacific exhibit at the Moody Gardens Aquarium during a special session at Dive Expo. (Photo Credit: Taylor Galaviz/FGBNMS)
![A pole with an acoustic receiver mounted on it sits in the background of a reef scene with a lionfish swimming in the foreground.](/img/socialmedia/022024lionfishandreceivermfn.jpg)
Seaside Chats 2024:A tagged lionfish swims near an acoustic receiver (in the background), which will record its movements around the reef. (Photo Credit: Marissa Nuttall/FGBNMS)
![A diver holding a net watches a tagged lionfish swim away at night.](/img/socialmedia/022024divernettinglionfish_cancelmo.jpg)
Seaside Chats 2024: Divers inserted tags into lionfish and other species for a study to learn more about fish movement on the reefs. The tagging occurred under a sanctuary permit. (Photo Credit: Jesse Cancelmo)
![A cartoony version of a spotted moray eel peeks out from under a reef. Text says Eel always be your valentine.](/img/socialmedia/021424eelvalentine_elijahhall1000.jpg)
There is a lot to love about our sanctuary, even beyond the depths most divers can explore! Happy Valentines Day! (Photo Credit: Elijah Hall/NOAA)
![An audience seated in front of a stage as a speaker stands at the podium on stage.](/img/socialmedia/021324mardigrasarchtcg1000.jpg)
The Powell Arch, in downtown Galveston, would be the perfect place to showcase the sanctuary's Mardi Gras Wrasse. (Photo Credit:Taylor Galaviz/FGBNMS)
![A photo of Paul Humann next to text: In Remembrance of Paul Humann, author, photographer, publisher, REEF co-founder, 1937-2024.](/img/socialmedia/020924paulhumannremembrance_reef1000.jpg)
The Reef Fish Identification books that Paul Humann and co-author Ned DeLoach created are important references for our long-term monitoring surveys, and our REEF Fish ID classes. (Photo Credit: REEF)
![A scuba diver holding a clipboard lays a transect tape on the reef.](/img/socialmedia/020624transectonreef_andersonmayfield.jpg)
Seaside Chats 2024: Climate monitoring helps us understand impacts to our sanctuary reefs. (Photo Credit: Anderson Mayfield)
![A scuba diver uses tools to secure an instrument on the sea floor near a reef.](/img/socialmedia/020624diverwithtools_kevindavidson.jpg)
Seaside Chats 2024: Monitoring efforts on the reefs at the Flower Garden Banks, as well as the Florida Keys, helped us understand the 2023 mass coral bleaching event. (Photo Credit: Kevin Davidson)
![A catamaran style boat sits up on blocks on a platform out of the water.](/img/socialmedia/012624mantaindrydockds.jpg)
Our research vessel (R/V MANTA) goes into dry dock once a year to have the hull and jets cleaned, and take care of anything else that can be more easily addressed when the boat is out of the water. (Photo Credit: Desda Sisson/FGBNMS)
![Beer can label artwork featuring colorful corals and the name Star Struck Coconut Lime Gose.](/img/socialmedia/012424starstruckbeercanlabel_gib.jpg)
A little fishy told us that something new is coming soon to a cooler near us. It looks suspiciously drinkable and aims to support our conservation efforts with Moody Gardens. (Photo Credit: Galveston Island Brewing; Artwork: Janavi Mahimtura Folmsbee)
![An annual event that occurs 7-10 days after the full moon every August. What is coral spawning? with image of spawning brain coral.](/img/socialmedia/010424coralspawningjeopardy.jpg)
FGBNMS game show style trivia about coral spawning. (Photo Credit: FGBNMS)
![This person is known as the Father of the sanctuary. Who is Tom Bright? with an image of Tom with a large leaf on his head.](/img/socialmedia/010424tombrightjeopardy.jpg)
FGBNMS game show style trivia about Tom Bright. (Photo Credit: FGBNMS)
![In 2023, new technology was installed at East Flower Garden Bank and delivers real time data, including temperatuere and wind speed. What is a Sofar Spotter Buoy? with an image of people holding a spotter buoy.](/img/socialmedia/010424spotterbuoyjeopardy.jpg)
FGBNMS game show style trivia about a spotter buoy. (Photo Credit: FGBNMS)
![This Indo-Pacific invertebrate invader displaces native corals in the sanctuary. What is Orange Cup Coral? with a photo of orange cup coral covering a large area.](/img/socialmedia/010424cupcoraljeopardy.jpg)
FGBNMS game show style trivia about orange cup coral. (Photo Credit: FGBNMS)
![The sanctuary's deepest point of 220 meters lies in this bank. What is Elvers Bank? with a bathymetric map of Elvers Bank and the sanctuary boundary around it.](/img/socialmedia/010424elversbankjeopardy.jpg)
FGBNMS game show style trivia about Elvers Bank. (Photo Credit: FGBNMS)