We know a beautiful view when we see one! 😍 Share your #Photos of beautiful #Sunsets or scenic shots of your favorite national marine sanctuary through the annual Get Into Your Sanctuary #PhotoContest in the “Sanctuary Views” category. Deadline 9/2/24. sanctuaries.noaa.gov/photo-contest.…

We take Seabirds on a boat, leave them underwater for a while and then come collect them later on. You read that correctly. Seabird water quality instruments are installed on the seafloor to collect salinity, turbidity, and temperature. #WhatsThatWednesday #WaterQualityMonth

Take a break, blow some bubbles and relax with the manta rays at Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary. 🎥 Ryan Hannum/ FGBNMS #NationalRelaxationDay

How do divers communicate? 🫧 🫧 🫧 🫧 🫧 🫧 They use speech bubbles! What are your favorite ocean jokes to tell? #TellAJokeDay #StetsonBank

There’s nothing like a day in/on the water 🌊 Enter your best images of people responsibly enjoying #NationalMarineSanctuaries in the Get Into Your Sanctuary #PhotoContest. Deadline 9/2/24. #RecreateResponsibly #WorldPhotographyDay #WorldPhotoDay sanctuaries.noaa.gov/photo-contest.…

The #Mesophotic (deeper) habitats of FGBNMS, which account for about 98% of the sanctuary, include many beautiful #BlackCorals and #Gorgonians. Learn more about deep #Corals across the sanctuary system in this video.

Why are fish so clever? 🐟 🐟 🐟 🐟 🐟 🐟 Because they are always in schools! Don't be blue about #BackToSchool. Check out all the fun ways you can learn about coral reefs--word search, crossword puzzle, coloring page, and fun facts. flowergarden.noaa.gov/education/stud…

#Cowfish or not? Cowfish are a type of #Boxfish that usually have horns protruding from just above their eyes. However, this #ScrawledCowfish seems to have lost his. Apparently they can get knocked off in certain situations, but will regrow within a few months. Who knew?!

🐾 Happy #NationalDogDay from our sanctuary dogs to yours! Juniper, Goose and Ella have never actually been to Flower Garden Banks National Sanctuary, but they are pretty big fans. Disclaimer: No actual Christmas tree worms, sharks or octopuses were harmed by these pups.

What? You haven't submitted your #Photos yet!?😮 This is the last week of the Get Into Your Sanctuary #PhotoContest. Show us how you view our #NationalMarineSanctuaries thru your camera lens. Deadline September 2, 2024. sanctuaries.noaa.gov/photo-contest.….

In August, reef-building corals of #FGBNMS put on a fantastic spawning display. This event typically occurs 7-10 days after the full moon in August. Which means it is happening now! Reports from the field say there is “so much spawn”. flowergarden.noaa.gov/education/cora… #WhatsThatWednesday

Simple ways to protect the reef, don't do too much. It’s very cutesy, very mindful, very considerate. 🔗 Find out more about what you can do to protect the sanctuary's resources, even on land: flowergarden.noaa.gov/protection/wha… #VeryDemureVeryMindful

It’s a Shark! It’s a Whale? It’s a whale of a shark for #InternationalWhaleSharkDay! Whale sharks prefer to glide through tropical and warm-temperate seas. If you’re lucky, you might see a whale shark in #FlowerGardenBanksNationalMarineSanctuary between July and September.

Today was #LionfishDissections Day. We sampled fish from 62-74m deep at Elvers & Rezak Banks. In addition to weight, size, & gut contents, we also took fin clips for genetics, and muscle samples to analyze for mercury, ciguatera toxin, and stable isotopes. #Lionfish #Research

Fishing for a cause! 🎣 Each year, NOAA's Flower Garden Banks Natl Marine Sanctuary holds the #LionfishInvitational, a #LionfishResearch and removal effort in the sanctuary. For the past 9 years, Rachel Bowman has coordinated this effort, making her the FGBNMS 2024 #VolunteerOfTheYear. sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/sep24/lio…

This #StarCoral has just begun to spawn! The dots are bundles of reproductive material that will float up to the surface, mingle with other coral spawn, & create new coral babies. #CoralSpawning #MassSpawning This is what our reefs looked like a week ago. flowergarden.noaa.gov/education/cora…

Had #EnoughRain this week? Here's a little #Sunshine for your weekend. And, yes, they are actually called #Sunshinefish!

Things are cooling down on the reef! #Sofarspotterbuoy at #EastFlowerGardenBank recorded a decline in temperature throughout the end of August and into September. This buoy collects wave height, wind speed, and temperatures from surface and reef cap depth. flowergarden.noaa.gov/visiting/offsh…