NOAA's Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary

06/18/2026

For this year’s Get Into Your Sanctuary Photo Contest, we are so excited to have all new submission categories!

Life in Motion
Sanctuaries and You
The Water’s Edge
Ripples from the Past

We can’t wait to see how you through your submissions. Be sure to submit your photos before the Labor Day deadline and share them using the hashtag .

Visit sanctuaries.noaa.gov/photo-contest.html and follow to learn more!

📷 Jean Zou at NOAA's Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary
📷 Arthur Borges at NOAA Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary
📷 Larrry Feder at NOAA Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary
📷 Luan Robert at NOAA Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary

06/18/2026

🚗 Summer road trip anyone?

June is the perfect month to check out zoos and aquariums that feature Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary exhibits.

💙 Texas State Aquarium in Corpus Christi, Texas: 40,000-gallon exhibit
🐟 Cameron Park Zoo in Waco, Texas: 50,000-gallon exhibit
🐠 Moody Gardens Aquarium Pyramid in Galveston, Texas: engaging exhibit and Coral Rescue lab housing sanctuary corals
🪸 San Antonio Zoo in San Antonio, Texas: Recently opened Brewer Ocean Conservation Lab housing sanctuary corals
🦈 Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga, TN: 618,000-gallon exhibit, the Secret Reef

By visiting these aquariums on land, you are able to experience the sanctuary without getting your feet wet.

Check out the list here: https://flowergarden.noaa.gov/visiting/zooaqexhibits.html

📷 Aaron Oaks
📷 Kelly Drinnen/NOAA

06/17/2026

Scientists are studying how and when fish use the banks and reefs of NOAA's Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, and have developed a video that describes how they are using acoustic technology to track fish movements and study fish behavior. Learn more: https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/news/study-tracks-fish-movements-for-better-fisheries-management-in-gulf-of-america-video/

06/16/2026

Catch a wave for ! 🐢🌊

Hawksbill turtles, like this one, are found in the waters of Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary. They may be relatively small sea turtle, but they're hungry! An adult hawksbill sea turtle eats an average of 1,200 pounds of sponges a year!

📸: GP Schmahl/NOAA

06/15/2026

What does it take to explore deep coral reefs? Rebreathers, decompression, and a hyperbaric chamber!

Exploring the sanctuary's deeper coral reefs requires far more than standard scuba gear. Specialized breathing gas mixtures, closed-circuit rebreathers, extended decompression schedules, and robust emergency preparedness are all essential for safely conducting research in mesophotic reef habitats.

Recently, researchers from Florida Atlantic University Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, San Diego State University, and Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary completed a technical diving mission to explore and monitor deep reef habitats of interest to both the sanctuary and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM). These operations relied on the full suite of specialized equipment and expertise required to work safely at depth.

At Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, we are fortunate to have the support of the NOAA Dive Center, whose operational expertise—including a portable hyperbaric chamber and trained diving medical personnel—helps make complex missions like this possible. Their support ensures that research teams are prepared to respond to emergencies while conducting scientific operations in remote offshore environments.

📷 Ryan Eckert/FAU-HBOI

06/11/2026

Staying Cool in the Summer Heat!

We're not the only ones to seek out shade in the summer to cool off. Great Barracuda (Sphyraena barracuda) are drawn to the shade and structure of moored vessels, schooling loosely in the water column to stay cool and keep an eye out for easy prey.

Despite their intimidating reputation, barracuda sightings are a reminder of how vibrant and healthy the reef system at Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary truly is.

📷 Emma Hickerson/NOAA

06/10/2026

Sanctuary Saturday at the Moody Gardens Aquarium Pyramid this Saturday!

Join us to learn more about corals in the Gulf and the challenges they face throughout the world.

🐟 Sanctuary Saturday—Corals of the Gulf
📆 June 13, 2026, at 1 p.m.
📍 Moody Gardens Aquarium Pyramid in Galveston, Texas in front of the Coral Rescue Lab

📷G.P. Schmahl/NOAA

06/09/2026

You’re invited to Get Into Your Sanctuary!

Join us this summer across the National Marine Sanctuary System - from sea to shining sea. Each year, as part of national "Get into Your Sanctuary" summer activities, we invite photographers to share striking images that capture wildlife, seascapes, maritime heritage, and meaningful connections to these special places through our Get Into Your Sanctuary Photo Contest. The contest runs from May 22 to September 7!

Visit https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/photo-contest.html and follow NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries to learn more!



📷 Beata Lerman/NOAA

06/08/2026

💙 Time to celebrate this World Ocean Day!

From the beauty of offshore reefs like those found in Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary to the coastal communities that see the waves daily, the ocean is our happy place.

How are you celebrating the ocean today? Leave a comment to share why you love the ocean!

📷 Emma Hickerson/NOAA

06/08/2026