Managing Marine Areas: Success Stories Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary
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Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary Managing Marine Areas: Success Stories Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary G. P. Schmahl Sanctuary Manager June 12, 2003
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Managing Marine Areas: Success Stories Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary. G. P. Schmahl Sanctuary Manager June 12, 2003. Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary. Stetson Bank. East Flower Garden Bank. West Flower Garden Bank. Flower Garden Banks - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
Transcript of Managing Marine Areas: Success Stories Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary
Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary
Managing Marine Areas: Success StoriesFlower Garden Banks National Marine
Sanctuary
G. P. SchmahlSanctuary Manager
June 12, 2003
Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary
Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary
West Flower Garden Bank
Stetson Bank
East Flower Garden Bank
Flower Garden BanksNational Marine
Sanctuary
Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary
West Flower Garden Bank
Flower Garden BanksFlower Garden BanksNational Marine SanctuaryNational Marine Sanctuary
Multibeam BathymetryMultibeam BathymetryUSGS, 1997USGS, 1997
East Flower Garden Bank
Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary
Perched atop salt domes
Northernmost coral reefs in the continental United States
Reef foundation formed by large, stony corals (e.g. brain and star corals)
About 23 coral species
Over 850 other reef invertebrate species
~250 fish species
125+ algae species
Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Coral Algae Sponge Turfs andBare
CrustoseCorallines
Sand
Substrate Category
EAST
WEST
N.S.
p = 0.00028
N.S.
N.S.N.S.
p = 0.011
Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary
Flower Garden BanksFlower Garden Banks 50.5%50.5%Cayman IslandsCayman Islands 21.0%21.0%CubaCuba 15 - 23%15 - 23%BonaireBonaire 48%48%Akumal, MexicoAkumal, Mexico 16.8%16.8%Netherlands AntillesNetherlands Antilles 10 - 47%10 - 47%St. Vincent GrenadinesSt. Vincent Grenadines 29 - 44%29 - 44%Turks and CaicosTurks and Caicos up to 30%up to 30%Florida Keys Florida Keys 3 - 22%3 - 22%
Percent Living Coral Cover - Major ReefsPercent Living Coral Cover - Major Reefs
As determined by the Atlantic and Gulf Rapid Reef Assessment (AGRAA)
Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary
Seasonal aggregations of sharks and rays
Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary
Quenton Dokken
Frank and Joyce Burek
Tracking Loggerhead Sea TurtlesTracking Loggerhead Sea TurtlesUsing Satellite TelemetryUsing Satellite Telemetry
Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary
Oil and Gas Infrastructure
Flower Garden Banks
Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary
Oil and Gas Infrastructure
Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary
High Island A-389 Platform - East Flower Garden BankHigh Island A-389 Platform - East Flower Garden Bank
Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary
Potential Impacts from Oil and Gas Activities
• Anchoring• Seismic surveys• Effluent discharge• Oil spills• Blowouts• Structure emplacement• Structure removal
Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary
Burmah Agate 1979
Mega Borg 1990
Ixtoc I 1979
Major Gulf of Mexico Oil Spills
Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary
Flower Garden BanksFlower Garden Banks
Regulatory Zones and Regulatory Zones and Oil and Gas InfrastructureOil and Gas Infrastructure
Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary
Protective Measures
• Discharge of all drilling effluents through a downpipe within 10 meters of the seafloor
• Oil spill planning, notification and mitigation measures
• Pipeline operation and “shut in” guidelines• Sanctuary review of all development plans
within the 4-mile zone
Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary
Long-term monitoring studies of the coral reef areas since the mid 1970’sindicate no significant detrimental impacts related to oil and gas activities
Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary
Automated TABS Data Buoy
Flower Garden Joint Industry Project
Photography by Frank Burek
Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary
Http://www.gerg.tamu.edu/ngli/V/
TABS Buoy
Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary
Down Under, Out YonderOffers classroom theory, accompanied with hands-on activities…..
…... followed by an intense field experience in the Flower Garden Banks NMS.
Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary
Major Challenges• Restore natural populations of fish and
other marine organisms
• Protect from water quality degradation
• Understand linkages between the network of biological features in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico
Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary
250ft.
170ft.
230ft.
Photography by Frank and Joyce Burek
NURC ROV
NURC ROV
NURC ROV
Essential Fish Habitat
Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary
Spawning Marbled GrouperMay 3, 2003
Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary
• 2,302 miles long• 1.2 million square miles• 40% of continental U.S.• 12 million people• 612,000 cubic feet per second
Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary
Chlorophyll
Flower Garden Banks
Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary
Multi - parameter Water Quality InstrumentsMulti - parameter Water Quality InstrumentsYSI Datasonde 6600 - September 2001YSI Datasonde 6600 - September 2001
• TemperatureTemperature• SalinitySalinity• DepthDepth• pHpH• TurbidityTurbidity• Dissolved oxygenDissolved oxygen• Light (PAR)Light (PAR)
Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary
Reefs and Banks of the Northwestern Gulf of Mexico
Flower Garden Banks National Marine SanctuarySustainable Seas Expedition 2002Sustainable Seas Expedition 2002
Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary
Photograph by Jesse Cancelmo
Flower Garden BanksNational Marine Sanctuary
A “Garden in the Gulf”
Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary
