Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary Boundary Expansion

SANCTUARY EXPANSION

An important step in the management plan review is the process of characterizing priority issues. "Protecting additional habitat in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico" was identified as one of six priority issues through the public scoping process and by the Sanctuary Advisory Council and sanctuary staff.

In response, the Sanctuary Advisory Council formed a working group to address this issue. Through a series of public meetings and/or workshops, the working group will develop their final recommendations on management activities and strategies to be considered by the full council and the sanctuary superintendent.

The following summarizes the work done by members of the subcommittee or working group and presents an overview of the issue and suggested action strategies.

Working Group Members:

Clint Moore, Chairperson, Council Oil and Gas Representative

Emma Hickerson, FGBNMS Research Coordinator

John Embesi, Council Research Representative

Ian MacDonald, Council Research Representative

James Sinclair, Council Minerals Management Service Representative

Steve Gittings, ONMS National Science Program Coordinator

The Issue:

Potentially vulnerable geological and biological features associated with protected areas are outside current sanctuary boundaries. Additional features were revealed through the collection of high-resolution multibeam bathymetry after the present sanctuary boundaries were established.

Numerous banks and associated topographic features in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico, like the Flower Garden Banks, have unique or unusual structural features, and may be ecologically linked to each other. These features may be highly vulnerable to certain anthropogenic impacts that alter the physical, chemical, biological, or acoustic environment.

It is proposed that selected features be evaluated for inclusion under the management and protection of the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary.

The Strategy:

Develop a list of nominated sites to consider for further protection.

Consider expanding sanctuary boundaries around Stetson Bank to include vulnerable habitat known as the Stetson Bank Ring. This semi-continuous ring of features is structurally and biologically part of the Stetson Bank ecosystem.
Consider expanding sanctuary boundaries to include vulnerable habitats between and adjacent to the Flower Garden Banks that are structurally and biologically linked to the Flower Garden Banks ecosystem.
Numerous banks and associated topographic features in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico, which have unique or unusual structural features, are populated by potentially vulnerable hard bank assemblages, and may be ecologically linked to each other. These should be assessed for effectiveness of current protection, and evaluated for inclusion under the management and protection of FGBNMS.

Develop criteria for assessment of nominated sites for sanctuary status.

Make recommendations for further science needed to make management decisions, including interpretive materials.

Make recommendations for further educational products needed to address issue.

Boundary Expansion Workshop
July 19, 2007
Galveston, Texas

WORKSHOP PRESENTATIONS:

Introduction to the Boundary Expansion Workshop (1.8MB pdf)
- G.P. Schmahl, FGBNMS

Reefs & Banks of Northwestern Gulf of Mexico (7.4MB pdf)
- Dr. Tom Bright, Texs A&M University

Characterization of Selected Banks 1 (1.7MB pdf)
- Greg Boland, Minerals Management Service

Geological Perspective: Alderdice Bank (20.5MB pdf)
- Mark Betts, Devon Energy

Characterization of Selected Banks 2 (2.5MB pdf)
- Emma Hickerson, FGBNMS

Sea Turtle & Manta Ray Utilization of FGBNMS (3.1MB pdf)
- Emma Hickerson, FGBNMS

WORKSHOP DOCUMENTS:

Boundary Expansion Workshop Agenda (220kb pdf)

Boundary Expansion Workshop Minutes (260kb pdf)