flowergarden.noaa.govFlower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary

National marine sanctuary offices and visitor centers closed to the public; waters remain open NOAA’s ’s office is closed to the public while the waters remain open for responsible use in accordance with CDC guidance and local regulations. Note, the mooring buoys are not currently being maintained and the sanctuary assumes no liability for use of the buoys. Once normal on-water activities are restored, we will resume buoy maintenance as soon as possible. More information on the response from NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries can be found on sanctuaries.noaa.gov/coronavirus/ .Toggle navigation Toggle search Visit Overview What Will I See? Trip Preparation Notable Natural Events Dive Charters Fishing Charters Ciguatera Offshore Conditions Sanctuary Boundaries Reef Etiquette Sanctuary Art Zoo & Aquarium Exhibits Get Involved Overview Volunteer Activities Advisory Council Citizen Science Lionfish Invitational Learn Education Public Programs Corals Invasive Species Sanctuary History FAQs Science Overview Research Monitoring Research Vessel Tools & Technology Science Reports Publications Hurricanes Coral Invasive Species About Overview History Natural Setting Species List Mesophotic Habitats Mesophotic Species Sanctuary Banks FAQs HI-A-389-A Platform Sanctuary Staff NOAA Corps Staff Manage Overview Regulations Management Plan Sanctuary Expansion Advisory Council News Overview News Calendar of Events Email Lists Accomplishments News Archive Protect Overview Regulations Management Zones Mooring Buoys Enforcement Permits Prevent Coral Disease What You Can Do Images Overview Commemorative Poster Species Images Maps Videos Social Media Images Manta Catalog Outreach Monitoring Historic Expeditions Secrets of the Gulf Expedition Documents Science Reports Management Flower Garden Banks Exploring and caring for special places in the Gulf of Mexico that inspire and connect us all. Calendar of Events Map Tool Report Observations Recruiting Advisory Council Members is seeking applicants for seven (7) seats on its advisory council , a community based group of individuals that provide advice for sanctuary management. The sanctuary is accepting applications for the following council seats: Conservation (1 seat) Commercial Fishing (2 seats) Dive Operations (2 seats) Energy (1 seat) Recreational Diving (1 seat) Deadline for applications is April 15, 2024 Information and Application Materials Questions? Contact Taylor.Galaviz@noaa.gov ABCs of Fish ID Tuesday, March 26, 2024 in Dickinson, TX Tuesday, May 14, 2024 in Galveston, TX Do these reef fish families look familiar? Can you name them? Do you want to? We can help with that! Join us for the ABCs of Fish ID to learn 50 of the most common reef fishes in . These are also species found throughout the region, so you can use the information on your Caribbean beach vacation adventures, too. These in-person classes will run 6-9 p.m. Central Time. Please email flowergarden@noaa.gov if you are interested in attending, and specify which date you plan to attend. There is no charge to participate. If you are interested in an online version of the class, please email to let us know. We are considering adding one to the schedule. City Nature Challenge in the Sanctuary April 26-28, 2024 City Nature Challenge is a world-wide bioblitz that takes place every April and marine life from qualify for this challenge. Sounds like a perfect time to dive the sanctuary! Texas Caribbean Charters is offering a Weekend Flower Gardens Dive Trip April 26-28, 2024 and any photos taken during that trip are eligible to be submitted for the City Nature Challenge. All you need is the free iNaturallist app and an internet connection. As an added bonus, sanctuary staff will also be on board. You’ll have the chance to rub elbows with our researchers and learn even more about the sanctuary, including help with identifying the local wildlife. More Citizen Science opportunities Rapid Climate Vulnerability Assessment Report NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries published a Climate Vulnerability Assessment for . The report identifies increasing seawater temperatures, ocean acidification, and increasing storm intensity as significant threats to many species and ecosystems of the sanctuary over the next 50 years. The report also identifies adaptive management strategies to improve protection of sanctuary resources. Climate Vulnerability Assessments are designed to identify resources that are most vulnerable to climate change and why. This is critical information that greatly accelerates the process of adaptation planning by helping MPA managers prioritize and effectively target actions that are the most likely to reduce the vulnerability of resources. View Full Report Sanctuary Advisory Council Meeting The Sanctuary Advisory Council meets several times a year to discuss topics relevant to sanctuary management. Past minutes and agendas are available on our Meeting Information page. Next Meeting: Wednesday, April 24, 2024 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. In-person : NOAA Galveston Lab Conference Room 4700 Avenue U, Building 305, Galveston, TX 77551 Webinar Registration: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8808895071264403294 Computer audio recommended. Audio Only: Call (914) 614-3221, use Audio Access Code 241-018-756 This meeting is open to the public and will include a public comment period at 12:45 p.m. CT. Meeting location, webinar information, and agenda will be posted closer to the meeting date. For more information, contact flowergarden@noaa.gov . New Sanctuary Poster Released Check out the newest poster in the NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries 50th Anniversary Save Spectacular poster series . It’s all ! While is best known for its beautiful coral reefs , they only account for a tiny fraction (2%) of the entire sanctuary. The majority of sanctuary habitats lie deeper beneath the waves in an area known as the mesophotic or "twilight" zone . Scuba and remotely operated vehicle (ROV) technologies allow us to explore and learn about all of these areas. Our commemorative sanctuary poster reflects this in full color graphic art. You’ll find coral reef habitat and sea life featured prominently in the foreground, with deep reef features in shadow below them. Scuba divers descend from the surface while an ROV explores the depths, with its umbilical connected to our fantastic research vessel (R/V) MANTA at the surface. And, of course, a graceful manta ray, swims through the whole scene. We love it, and we know you will too! Download your copy today: https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/posters/flower-garden-banks/ Seaside Chats Seaside Chats is an annual speaker series about ocean science and conservation, hosted by . All presentations are offered via webinar. Recordings of all the February 2023 webinars are now available:February 7, 2024 6:30 p.m. CT Climate Monitoring in FGBNMS - Nicole Besemer, Oceanographer, NOAA AOML Coral Program February 21, 2024 6:30 p.m. CT Fish, with Chips: Tracking Fish Movement at FGBNMS - Marissa Nuttall, FGBNMS February 28, 2024 6:30 p.m. CT Chasing Microbes: Diving into the Mystery of Coral Disease - Adrienne Correa, University of California – Berkeley; Laura Mydlarz, University of Texas Arlington; Dan Holstein, Louisiana State University For more information and recording links, please visit our Seaside Chats page . 2024 Lionfish Invitational Applications Available NOAA’s is partnering with Lionfish Invitational, Inc., with support from Texas Parks & Wildlife and Texas Caribbean Charters, to allow trained divers to help conduct research and remove invasive lionfish within the sanctuary, and in some of its surroundings. Sanctuary collection permits will be issued for three separate expeditions on board the recreational dive charter vessel M/V Fling . June 23-27, 2024 (FGBNMS & Kraken ) August 11-15, 2024 (Gulf of Mexico Rigs & Platforms September 8-12, 2024 (FGBNMS & Kraken ) Applications are now available for all 2024 Lionfish...