#ApplyNow ! The deadline to apply for 7 seats on the FGBNMS #AdvisoryCouncil is near.
Open Seats: Conserv (1), Comm Fishing (2), Dive Ops (2), Energy (1), Rec Diving (1)
All applications must be received or postmarked by Monday, April 15th. flowergarden.noaa.gov/advisorycounci…
#ScrabbleDay

In 2007, the Navy's NR-1 research #Submarine explored FGBNMS & its surroundings, surfacing every few days to exchange scientific crew. A viewing porthole in the sub gave scientists first hand views of sea floor habitats. #Submarine Day #NationalSubmarineDay
flowergarden.noaa.gov/image_library/…

#WhatsThatWednesday
The Sanctuary #AdvisoryCouncil (SAC) is a group of community representatives that advises the sanctuary on priority issues.

The next SAC mtg is on the four-tuitous date 4/24/24 (a #Palindrome ), 9a-2:30p with public comments at 12:45p. flowergarden.noaa.gov/advisorycounci…

Some people plant #Gardens to attract butterflies and bumblebees. We have natural coral gardens that attract #Butteflyfish and basslets. Nature lovers can rejoice in them both!!
#NationalGardenMonth #McGrailBank
flowergarden.noaa.gov/about/mcgrailb…

We love the #ZoosAndAquariums who help us bring the magic of NOAA's Flower Garden Banks Natl Marine Sanctuary to new audiences. Replica exhibits help tell the story of thriving coral reefs in the Gulf of Mexico. #NationalZooLoversDay #ZooLovers

flowergarden.noaa.gov/visiting/zooaq…

📷 Joyce & Frank Burek #nationalzooloversday

Our biggest lionfish stomach finds? A 5 inch long #Sunshinefish and a 2.7 inch long #RedNightShrimp . Smaller finds included a Cocoa #Damselfish , a 3-Spot Damselfish, a Cardinalfish, some unidentifiable fish (too digested), and various shrimp. 2/2

Yesterday, we talked to Dickinson High School students about #InvasiveLionfish , and dissected some that were removed from the sanctuary in 2023, to examine their gut contents. This helps us understand what sanctuary species are being impacted by the invasion. 1/2
#Lionfish

Thinking about a #DiveTrip to NOAA's Flower Garden Banks Natl Marine Sanctuary? Want to see #SciencInAction ? We've got the perfect trip for you!

A few sanctuary staff will be on board the 4/26-28 trip on M/V FLING. They'll be completing #Research tasks, and giving mini-talks. Take the plunge!
fling-diving.com/City-Nature-Ch…

#WhatsThatWednesday
Is that coral bleaching? No. It's a sand factory.

What?! This coral has been gnawed on by hungry #Parrotfish , scraping their beak-like teeth across the surface. But, they can't digest the hard skeleton, so it comes back out the other end as #Sand !

Mary, Mary, quite contrary,
How does your Garden grow?
With #CoralReefs and #Corals Deep,
And #Sponges all in a row.

#NationalGardenMonth #StetsonBank
flowergarden.noaa.gov/about/stetsonb…

During #spawning every August, corals release gamete bundles (egg and sperm packets) into the water column. Brittle stars wait for the chance catch and eat gamete bundles. flowergarden.noaa.gov/education/cora…

Watch out for #brittlestars stealing #eggs from your yard this weekend!

🎶 The stars at night are big and bright 👏 👏 👏 👏

There are some pretty big star corals off the coast of Texas and Louisiana. Star corals are known for their star-shaped corallites, the skeletal cup that an individual polyp sits in.

#ThisIsTexas #ThisIsLouisiana #OpeningDay

#WomensHistoryMonth celebrates the generations of women who have contributed to and continue to contribute to advancements in #STEM .

Parker Bank is the only bank named for a woman, Frances L. Parker, a micropaleontologist specializing in foraminifera. flowergarden.noaa.gov/about/parkerba…

Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary is seeking applicants for seven (7) seats on its advisory council, a community-based group of individuals that provide advice for sanctuary management.

📌 For more information and application materials visit flowergarden.noaa.gov/advisorycounci…

Don’t forget to look up every once in a while, you might just see a #manta swim right past you.

#FishIDFriday
What's the difference between a #Balloonfish & a #Porcupinefish ? Between a Yellowtail #Snapper & a Yellow #Goatfish ? What is a goatfish, anyway?

Find out at our ABCs of Fish ID class in Dickinson, TX.
Tues, Mar 26, 6-9 p.m.

Email [email protected] to register.

#FISH
F inning across the reef, searching for food, trying not to be some
I dentification is key to understanding where they go & why
S ounds from tracking tags tell their stories as they go by
H abitat use is a mystery with interesting outcomes

#WorldPoetryDay #Research

#MarineScience thru Art
Wed, 3/20/24, 2 p.m. CT
Join us TODAY to explore a variety of NOAA's Flower Garden Banks Natl Marine Sanctuary-inspired #ArtProjects that help inspire others to visit & care for our #OceanTreasures .

Register for webinar: vimeo.com/event/4121700/…