This week, the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (FGBNMS) office proposed an expansion plan that would include protection of additional banks in the Gulf of Mexico. Currently, the sanctuary includes the East, West, and Stetson Banks, outlined below in red. Other nearby banks including McGrail and Bright have also shown to host important coral and fish habitats, including those at mesophotic depths. New ROV data that was collected in October 2014 with CIOERT partners Harbor Branch and UNCW on a cruise led by Dr. Voss' lab contributed to the proposal. See the additional areas included in the proposed expansion plan shown in blue on the map.
Provided the plan goes into effect, it will result in future coral monitoring and sampling at these banks, allowing us to better resolve population connectivity among coral banks in the North Gulf of Mexico and wider Gulf and Florida reefs.
Stay tuned for more updates here or at the sanctuary website.
Provided the plan goes into effect, it will result in future coral monitoring and sampling at these banks, allowing us to better resolve population connectivity among coral banks in the North Gulf of Mexico and wider Gulf and Florida reefs.
Stay tuned for more updates here or at the sanctuary website.
Current sanctuary boundaries (red) vs proposed expansion boundaries (blue)
