New Research Highlight: Exploring the Resilience of Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary Mesophotic Reefs

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 National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science(NCCOS), Florida Atlantic  University Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution(FAU-HBOI), University of Alabama – BirminghamUAB, and University of Texas at Austin – Marine Science Institute(UT-MSI). The team will study coral communities at depths of approximately 150-300 feet, examining factors including temperature, ocean chemistry, coral growth, disease, and reef structure.

This research will help scientists better understand the resilience and connectivity of Flower Garden Banks' shallow and deeper reef ecosystems and inform future conservation and management strategies.

Read the full story: Scientists at AOML push boundaries to investigate coral resilience of mesophotic reefs

Originally published by NOAA's Atlantic Oceanographic & Meteorological Laboratory (AOML) on July 20, 2026. Written by Chris Malanuk.