Flower Garden Banks Expansion
In accordance with section 304, the documents relevant to the proposed expansion of flower garden banks are being submitted to the house resources committee and the senate committee on commerce, science, and transportation.
Flower garden banks expansion. Noaa’s flower garden banks national marine sanctuary, designated in 1992, is located 115 miles off the coasts of texas and louisiana. Stetson bank, located 70 miles off the texas coast, was added to the sanctuary through congressional action in 1996. East and west flower garden banks, and nearby stetson bank, are unique underwater features festooned with colorful sponges, textured sea plants, and myriad marine life living among more than 20 species of hard corals.
Flower garden banks national marine sanctuary expansion petition. To comment by mail, address the envelope to george p. Building on more than 30 years of studies and numerous reports released in the last decade calling for additional protections, noaa’s flower garden banks national marine sanctuary is proposing to expand its boundaries to protect areas of national significance off the coasts of texas and louisiana in the gulf of mexico.
Flower garden banks national marine sanctuary proposed expansion background building on more than 30 years of scientific studies, including numerous reports released in the last decade and in the aftermath of the 2010 deepwater horizon oil spill disaster, noaa is proposing to expand flower garden banks national marine Expansion of the sanctuary emerged as one of the top priority issues during a review of. Their are three sanctuaries that are already protected.
These banks are among the healthiest reefs in the world. About 100 miles off the coast of t. Emma hickerson, flower garden banks nms “we had quite a bit of support for that expansion but we got pushback from oil and gas interests and the fishing industry,” schmahl said.
Some of the healthiest coral reefs in the world are located in the gulf of mexico, miles off the coast of texas and louisiana. The bank is located northeast of east flower garden bank and is structurally connected by a ridge that runs between the two features. Building on more than three decades of scientific exploration and public calls for additional protections, noaa today released a proposal to expand flower garden banks national marine sanctuary to protect additional important gulf of mexico habitat.
56 mi² one hundred miles off the texas and louisiana coasts and the only sanctuary in the gulf of mexico, flower garden banks national marine sanctuary is home to an ecosystem created by water from 31 states and canada. The flower garden banks national marine sanctuary is home to spectacular coral reefs—with massive boulder and brain corals dominating the landscape, as far as a diver can see (figure 1). Public comments on the proposed expansion of flower garden banks national marine sanctuary.