Located 110 miles off the coasts of
Texas and Louisiana, Flower Garden Banks National Marine
Sanctuary hosts the northernmost coral reefs in the United
States. Rising to within 66 feet of the surface, the Banks
are an attractive home for shallow water Caribbean reef
fishes and invertebrates. Today it has become a premier
diving destination and attracts scientists from around the
world.
The sanctuary is divided into three
separate parts. The East and West Banks cover an area 41.7
square nautical miles in size, containing 350 acres of reef
crest. A small third bank, Stetson Bank, measures about 800m
long and 300m wide and is located about 70 nautical miles
south of Galveston, Texas. Stetson Bank does not have reef
forming corals like those found at the East and West Flower
Garden Banks. Instead, Stetson Bank is capped by uplifted
layers of claystone and sandstone which have eroded at
unequal rates to create a strange "moonscape" appearance,
and is home to many species of invertebrates and
fish.
The photo gallery contains images
which portray only a small portion of the living and
physical resources of the sanctuary. In addition, it
portrays some of the major uses of the sanctuary, and images
of the 1999 sustainable seas expedition. For a more detailed
description of the marvels of the Flower Garden Banks
National Marine Sanctuary visit the
Flower Garden Banks description on the Marine Sanctuaries
section of this
site.
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The
Collection
Thanks to the
photographers:
We gratefully acknowledge the
contribution of all the photographers, amateur and
professional, who have allowed their pictures to be made
accessible to the general public in this gallery. They have
spent a great deal of time and effort obtaining just the
right shot of the subject portrayed. Over 90% of the
photography within the Flower Garden Banks photo gallery was
donated by Frank and Joyce Burek. We thank them for their
beautiful contribution.
The
Living Sanctuary presents 30
photos depicting different species of fish, sponges, corals,
crustaceans and other animals. Among these images are
angelfish, manta rays, whale sharks, beautiful corals and
sponges, starfish, shrimp, and eel to name just a
few.
Habitats
presents 18 photos depicting the various marine habitats
making up the sanctuary, both natural and man-made. Included
in this section you will find representations of the
habitats of the main Flower Garden Banks and the Stetson
Bank. You will also see that oil rigs can actually be a
productive habitat for many creatures which would otherwise
not be in the area.
People
and the Sanctuary presents 27
images depicting the many ways that human beings use the
sanctuary and its adjacent areas. You will see people
protecting, researching, monitoring, teaching, and learning
the important lessons that the sanctuary has to
offer.
The
Sustainable Seas Expeditions
includes 26 images of launch preparations for the DeepWorker
submersible and species and habitat of the Flower Garden
Banks observed on dives during the expedition during
September 1999. Also included is a short movie of a
waterspout in the Gulf of Mexico, filmed during the
expedition
The Kids
Gallery for the Flower Garden
Banks National Marine Sanctuary presents 4 images created by
students in the Houston area. In this case we present
artwork created by High School students. The images were so
beautiful, we couldn't leave them out.
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