Eureka. Oh yeah, there was a sense of accomplishment when the Flower Gardens
was finally designated as a national reach sanctuary. Yeah.
Eureka. It's done. Well, it wasn't ever done. It's not done yet.
My hope is that these reefs, the Flower Garden Banks as we have today,
East, West, and Stetson, as well as the expanded areas, will maintain their health
for generations to come.
I think in any situation where you have one of the only ones you should take care of it.
So maybe it's the fact that it's so remote, but it's so beautiful,
and the community that it has out there,
so perhaps that's part of the value at least for me is I want to protect it
just like I would want to protect my own backyard back home.
NOAA's Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary
protects some of the healthiest coral reefs in
the world. The sanctuary is expanding its boundaries to protect 14 additional
reefs and banks off the coasts of Texas and Louisiana.
This expansion builds on more than 30 years of research and reports
calling for protection of these
nationally significant areas.
The expansion adds 104 square miles of critically
important habitats to the only national marine sanctuary in the Gulf of Mexico.
These include deep coral communities, unique geological features,
expansive zones of algal nodules,
and countless species, including some of the icons of recreational and commercial fishing.
Together, these essential habitats serve as reservoirs of abundance and diversity,
and engines of sustainability for the communities that rely on the
Gulf of Mexico for their economic livelihoods.
In the 1970's and 80's scientists and community members called for
protection of East and West Flower Garden Banks and Stetson Bank,
resulting in the designation of Flower Garden Banks
National Marine Sanctuary.
Today, we've answered the call. The expansion of Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary
advances NOAA's mission to conserve and manage coastal
and marine ecosystems that help sustain local communities and America's economy.
The coral cover at the Flower Gardens is greater now than it was when we were
studying them back in the 70's and 80's. So these reefs are special because they
remain healthy. That's a good sign. That means these reefs are hanging in there,
and we need the reefs that will hang in there because a lot of reefs worldwide are not.
The habitats that are supported largely by both corals and algal reef builders
are indeed resources that we need to protect for the benefit of all the
stakeholders. These terraces covered by algal nodules, which cover many of the
banks to be included in the expansion, are possibly of higher diversity in
terms of the numbers of species than the coral reef itself.
The proposed sanctuary expansion is the culmination
of years of work by a variety of people, and
is supported strongly by the public and by a number of our partners that
we've worked with over the years. Expansion of the sanctuary will add to
the ability to protect important areas, to provide for the resilience of communities,
and to sustain important economies in the Gulf of Mexico that are
dependent on the health of these natural resources.
I've been told it's one of the most pristine environments in the world.
When these scientists tell me that
I believe them. - The reason why it's so critical that we get this expansion and
we increase these banks is because the science has shown that these banks are
unique and they're a critical part of the ecosystem. - There is evidence that
shows that protecting these additional areas deserve merit.
These resources belong to all Americans. Not just the people that live on the Texas coast
or the Florida coast. The sanctuaries belong to all Americans,
and they need to go see these places. They're quite amazing.
I believe in the mission and believe in protecting the resources for generation to come and
what I'm hoping is this boundary expansion is going to cause millions of
other people, both children and adults, to learn about these wonders and treasures
of the offshore Gulf of Mexico that have been there, but are just big secrets.
And they're our secrets, but they're not going to be anymore because we're gonna
bring it to the public. The more we found out about these areas the more we
realize that these were not just important marine habitats, but some of
these areas are as diverse and as productive as any marine communities in
the world. This is your Gulf of Mexico. We look forward to continuing to work with
our community partners to ensure a productive and resilient Gulf of Mexico for years to come.