Animal Health and Protection
Flower Garden Banks

Long-spined urchin (Diadema antillarum)
The long-spined urchin (Diadema antillarum), a keystone species, experienced a widespread die-off throughout the Caribbean in the early 1980's

Why is it a concern?

Both long and short-term changes have been observed in the condition of certain key species in the Flower Garden Banks sanctuary.  However, the rates of change, impacts, and recovery have not been assessed.

Coral spawning at the FGBNMS is one of the most prolific and predictable events in the Caribbean, and recruitment studies conducted suggest good conditions and levels of recruitment of coral larvae. However, recent ephemeral outbreaks of coral disease, which have resulted in tissue loss on affected colonies, and the 2005 severe coral bleaching event, show that the health of key species is, at time, compromised.  Coral disease affected multiple coral species and numerous colonies in 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008.

Sea turtles, manta rays, groupers, jacks, snappers, and sharks appear to be in good health in the sanctuary, although abundance of hammerhead sharks, groupers and jacks appears to be lower than a decade or so ago for undetermined reasons.  In addition some whale sharks show signs of vessel strikes.

Long-spined sea urchins, which many consider an important keystone species on Caribbean reefs, experienced almost complete mortality at the Flower Garden Banks in 1983-84, and remain in low abundance.  Diadema are more abundant at Stetson Bank, and populations at West Flower Garden Bank are increasing slowly.  There is a lack of information on species in deep habitats, particularly groupers, jacks and snappers that inhabit those areas.

Continued monitoring of all key species at FGBNMS including corals, apex predators such as sharks and and jacks, and long-spined sea urchins is needed for assessments of animal health and protection.


Overview of Research

Project Name PI and contacts Links
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Science Needs and Questions

  • What is the rate of coral recruitment?
  • What factors affect the abundance and distribution of Diadema in the FGBNMS?
  • What impact will ocean acidification and sea surface temperature variability have on keystone species at the FGBNMS?

Education and Outreach Material

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References

Baggett, L.S. 1985. Patterns of coral recruitment at the East Flower Garden bank. M.S. Thesis, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas. 55 pp.

Continental Shelf Assoc., Inc. 1996. Long-term monitoring at the East and West Flower Garden Banks. OCS Study MMS 96-0046. U.S. Department of the Interior, Minerals Management Service, Gulf of Mexico OCS Region, New Orleans, Louisiana. 77 pp. + app

Dokken, Q.R., I.R. MacDonald, J.W. Tunnell, Jr., C.R. Beaver, G.S. Boland, and D.K. Hagman. 1999. Long-term monitoring at the East and West Flower Garden Banks, 1996-1997. U.S. Department of the Interior, Minerals Management Service, Gulf of Mexico OCS Region, New Orleans, Louisiana. OCS Study MMS99-0005.

Dokken, Q.R., I.R. MacDonald, J.W. Tunnell, Jr., T. Wade, K. Withers, S.J. Dilworth, T.W. Bates, C.R. Beaver, and C.M. Rigaud. 2003. Long-term monitoring at the East and West Flower Garden Banks, 1998-2001: Final Report. U.S. Department of the Interior, Minerals Management Service, Gulf of Mexico OCS Region, New Orleans, Louisiana. OCS Study MMS 2003-031. 90 pp.

Gittings, S.R. and G.S. Boland. 1991. Long-term monitoring on the Flower Garden Banks: study design and field methods. pp. 24-28 In: Proc.: Eleventh Ann. Gulf of Mexico Information Transfer Meeting. U.S. Department of the Interior, Minerals Management Service, New Orleans, Louisiana. Contract No. 14-35-0001-30499. OCS Study MMS-91-0040. 524 pp.

Gittings, S.R., G.S. Boland, K.J.P. Deslarzes, D.K. Hagman and B.S. Holland. 1992b. Long-term monitoring at the East and West Flower Garden Banks. Final Rept. OCS Study/MMS 92-006. U.S. Department of the Interior, Minerals Management Service, Gulf of Mexico OCS Regional Office, New Orleans, Louisiana. 206 pp.

Hagman, D.K. 2001. Reproductive dynamics of coral reef biota at the Flower Gardens. Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas.

Precht W.F., R.B. Aronson, K.J.P. Deslarzes, M.L. Robbart, T.J.T. Murdoch, A. Gelber, D. Evans, B. Gearheart and B. Zimmer. 2010. Long-term monitoring at the East and West Flower Garden Banks, 2004-2005; Final report. U.S. Department of the Interior, Minerals Management Service, Gulf of Mexico OCS Region, New Orleans, Louisiana. OCS Study MMS.

Snell, T.L., D.W. Foltz and P.W. Sammarco. 1998. Variation in Morphology vs. Conservation of a Mitochondrial Gene in Montastraea caver-nosa (Cnidaria, Scleractinia). Gulf of Mexico Science XVI No. 2:188.