NOAA's Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary

09/14/2026

Monitoring Monday: What is a transect?

One of the ways we keep track of how coral reefs change over time is by taking photographs along randomly selected transects across the reef.

Divers lay out a measuring tape along the seafloor and take a series of photographs at set points along the line. Back on land, we analyze those images by identifying what’s underneath randomly generated points in each photo—coral, algae, sponge, or other bottom types.

Put all of those points together, and we can estimate coral cover: the percentage of the seafloor covered by living coral. By repeating these surveys year after year, we can track changes in coral cover and get a much bigger picture of how the reef is doing over time.

A lot of data starts with a measuring tape and a camera.

📷 Kelly O'Connell/NOAA

09/10/2026

Echinoderm

- The common name for an animal in the phylum Echinodermata.
- Echinoderm means "spiny skin."
- The phylum includes animals such as sea stars, sea urchins, sea cucumbers, and brittle stars.
- All of these are marine animals with radial symmetry, with body parts arranged around a central axis in their body shapes.

📷 G.P. Schmahl/NOAA

09/09/2026

The application for the 2027 NOAA Hollings undergraduate scholarship is now open until January 31, 2027! Learn more about the program and check out our resources for applicants: https://www.noaa.gov/office-education/undergraduate-scholarships
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

09/06/2026

On several occasions, on the morning of the 9th day after the August full moon, mass spawning of sponges has been documented. The Giant Barrel Sponge (Xestospongia muta) looks like snow blowers when they spawn.

The final major episode of the mass coral spawning event occurs on the 10th night after the full moon. On this night, the brain coral Colpophyllia natans releases egg and s***m bundles in the evening. This appears to be the primary night for this species. By this time, most of the other coral species have completed their spawning effort.

Learn more about Coral Spawning: https://flowergarden.noaa.gov/education/coralspawning.html

📷 NOAA

09/05/2026

On the 8th night after the full moon, the coral spawning sequence of the previous evening repeats itself, but with significantly more colonies releasing gametes. This is the peak night of the coral spawning event and is often described as an “underwater snowstorm." The Mountainous Star Coral (Orbicella faveolata) releases its gamete bundles beginning shortly after 10 p.m.

Corals are not the only group to spawn at this time of year. Ruby Brittle Stars (Ophioderma rubicundum) release their gametes and aggregate on top of coral heads for a synchronized release of s***m (males) and eggs (females).

Learn more about Coral Spawning: https://flowergarden.noaa.gov/education/coralspawning.html

📷 NOAA

09/04/2026

Coral spawning is upon us! Here is what we can expect from this annual event.

The primary mass spawning event typically begins on the 7th night after the full moon in August, with the release of gametes by the Giant Star Coral (Montastraea cavernosa), beginning shortly after dark. This species has separate sexes, with male and female colonies releasing gametes within a similar time frame.

That same evening Boulder Star Coral (Orbicella franksi) and Symmetrical Brain Coral (Pseudodiploria strigosa) release gametes beginning around 9 p.m. Both of these species are hermaphroditic, with eggs and s***m packaged together in bundles.

After about 10 p.m., male and female colonies of the Blushing Star Coral (Stephanocoenia intersepta) begin releasing their s***m and eggs. As the eggs release, the chocolate-brown tentacles of the coral polyps withdraw, making the colony appear to “blush” due to the white color of the underlying skeleton.

Learn more about Coral Spawning: https://flowergarden.noaa.gov/education/coralspawning.html

📷 NOAA

09/04/2026

09/03/2026

09/02/2026

The reef-building corals of Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary put on a fantastic spawning display 7-10 days after the full moon in August. With the full moon in late August, the annual coral spawning event is occurring in early September.

Check it out in this video, and learn more at https://flowergarden.noaa.gov/education/coralspawning.html!

Throughout the end of the week we will showcase each night of the annual spawning event.

09/02/2026