Research & Science

For the first time, researchers have documented white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) in Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (FGBNMS). A new publication resulting from the NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science research grant, Determining Habitat Requirements and Connectivity for Reef Fishes in the Gulf of America, reports acoustic detections of nine white sharks within the sanctuary between 2022 and 2025.

The 2026 NCRMP mission at East and West Flower Garden Banks is now complete, marking another round in the sanctuary’s biennial coral reef monitoring record.

Coral reefs are valuable in ways that extend far beyond what we can see beneath the surface. A newly published NOAA report, Ecosystem Services Valuation of U.S. Coral Reefs, explores the many ways coral reefs benefit people, communities, economies, and marine ecosystems across the United States.

Scientists are preparing to explore the mesophotic reefs of Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary to better understand how these deeper coral ecosystems respond to changing ocean conditions. The five-year research project, led by Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (FGBNMS) and and includes NOAA’s Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory(AOML), the University of Miami’s Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies (CIMAS), NOAA’s Nati

Two Sofar Spotter buoys have been installed: one at East Flower Garden Bank in June 2023 and one at West Flower Garden Bank in September 2025. Both buoys collect wave height and wind speed data, as well as temperatures from the surface and at reef cap depth. The West Flower Garden Bank buoy also collects oxygen data from the midwater column and at reef cap depth. This provides important information for both staff and visitors to assess current offshoreconditions. https://flow