Flower Garden Banks Depth
East flower garden bank west flower garden bank and stetson bank.
Flower garden banks depth. We hope this resolves your most burning questions and maybe even provides answer to questions you didnt even know to ask. Locator map for fgbnms in the gulf of mexico 718kb jpg image of noaa nautical chart 11340 which includes parts of the texas and louisiana coastlines and flower garden banks national marine sanctuary 177kb jpg view noaa chart 11340 in noaas online chart catalog. Getting to the. High seas and strong currents can make for very challenging dive conditions not to mention queasy stomachs.
The flower garden banks national marine sanctuary fgbnms is comprised of stunning and unique shelf edge coral reef habitats in the northwest gulf of mexico gom. The miles of open ocean between banks range in depth from 200 to 500 feet 61 152 meters. Following are answers to the most common questions about flower garden banks national marine sanctuary fgbnms. Download pdf of noaa chart 11340.
National marine sanctuary located 100 nautical miles 185 kilometers offshore of galveston texas in the northwestern gulf of mexico. Just click on a question to see the response. Fishermen discovered them in the late 1800s and named them after the brightly colored sponges and invertebrates they sometimes pulled out of the water. Underlying salt domes forced the seafloor upward in various areas of the gulf of mexico resulting in the formation of rises and banksconditions of the gulf of mexico were conducive to reef building.
The reef caps at east and west flower garden banks are about 13 miles apart while stetson bank lies about 30 miles to the northwest of west flower garden bank. For these reasons the flower garden banks may not be the best place for beginning divers. The flower garden banks national marine sanctuary is a us. Each bank has its own.
Our collaborative research approach in this region combines habitat characterization population genetics biophysical modeling and molecular ecology to understand ecosystem functions and enhance management strategies. Download pdf of noaa booklet chart 11340 a reduced scale noaa nautical. The east flower garden banks stetson bank and the west flower garden banks. Today experienced divers can swim with whale sharks and mantas get up close and personal with.