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Rice University: Houston Flooding Polluted Reefs More Than 100 Miles Offshore
Targeted News Service (Press Releases)
HOUSTON, Texas,
Runoff from
Houston s 2016 Tax Day flood and 2017 s Hurricane Harvey flood carried human waste onto coral reefs more than 100 miles offshore in the Flower Garden Banks National
Marine Sanctuary, according to a
Rice University study. We were pretty shocked, said marine biologist
Adrienne Correa, co-author of the study in Frontiers in Marine Science. One thing we always thought the Flower Garden Banks were safe from was terrestrial runoff and nutrient pollution. It s a jolt to realize that in these extreme events, it s not just the salt marsh or the seagrass that we need to worry about. Offshore ecosystems can be affected too.
NOAA Triples Gulf of Mexico Marine Sanctuary Area
GALVESTON, Texas, January 22, 2021 (ENS) – One of the last acts of the outgoing Trump administration was taken by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, which has tripled the area protected by the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary in the Gulf of Mexico.
On January 19, NOAA issued the Final Rule for expansion of the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary. This action protects 14 additional reefs and banks, slightly adjusts the boundaries of the sanctuary’s original three banks, and expands the sanctuary from 56 square miles to a total of 160 square miles.
Gray snapper swim past a pinnacle covered in fire coral at Sonnier Bank, a popular area for fishing and shallow enough for scuba diving in the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (Photo courtesy NOAA)
Flower Garden Banks to be expanded in the Gulf of Mexico
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Hawksbill turtle is one of two turtle species that calls Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary home during part of its life.G.P. Schmahl/Courtesy NOAAShow MoreShow Less
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Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary has been identified as a nursery area for manta rays. It is one of the very few places identified worldwide. (Marissa Nuttall/Courtesy NOAA) Show MoreShow Less
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Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary is getting expanded to protect more reefs and banks in the Gulf of Mexico.
In the final rule issued Tuesday, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said the marine sanctuary will be expanded to 160 square miles, up from 56 square miles, and will protect 14 additional reefs and banks.