The essays below will help you to understand the goals and objectives of the mission and provide additional context and information about the places being explored and the science, tools, and technologies being used.
By Santiago Herrera
This is the first year of a five-year study to investigate connectivity of key coral, sponge, and fish species between shallow and mesophotic coral ecosystems of the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary and its proposed expansion areas to the east.
Read moreBy Santiago Herrera
We are studying the coral ecosystems found on the reefs and banks to the east of the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary to determine their potential connectivity to the reefs of the sanctuary and other coral ecosystems further afield in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean. These reefs and banks are part of the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary’s proposed expansion and understanding how they may or may not be connected to each other and the current sanctuary will help resource managers better protect, restore, and conserve these resources.
Read moreBy Kimberly Puglise
The term “coral” conjures up visions of warm, tropical waters, or the cold dark depths of the ocean where not a ray of sunlight penetrates. Found between these two visions is a relatively unknown and poorly understood depth realm referred to as the mesophotic zone – ‘meso’ for middle and ‘photic’ for light.
Read moreBy Andrea Quattrini and Santiago Herrera
Our project aims to better understand the processes that shape connectivity of corals and associated organisms throughout these areas of the northwestern Gulf of Mexico, with an overarching goal of helping to guide management decisions. In particular, we are examining population and ecosystem connectivity between shallow and mesophotic coral habitats (vertical connectivity) and among coral habitats in mesophotic depths (horizontal connectivity).
Read moreBy G.P. Schmahl and Emma Hickerson
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. The sanctuary is currently proposing to expand the sanctuary to include additional reefs and banks to the east of the current sanctuary boundaries.
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