Issue 69 - February 2021
Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary Triples In Size
By Rachel Plunkett

Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary has been expanded from 56 to 160 square miles. The expansion adds 14 additional reefs and banks to the sanctuary, with slight adjustments to the boundaries of the sanctuary’s original three banks. The new sanctuary boundary extends protections to additional essential habitats for commercially and recreationally important fish, as well as habitats for threatened and endangered species, while also minimizing potential user conflicts.
Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary was designated in 1992, and is located more than 100 miles south of the Texas/Louisiana border in the Gulf of Mexico. The original designation consisted of two areas located twelve miles apart – East Flower Garden Bank and West Flower Garden Bank. A third location, Stetson Bank, was added in 1996, after strong support from local divers. Boundaries for these areas were established using the best information available at the time regarding biologically sensitive habitats.

Since 1998, the sanctuary research team and partners have used multibeam bathymetry data, scuba diving, submersibles, and remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) to expand our knowledge of the reefs and banks within the region. Research has been focused on the deeper areas around East and West Flower Garden and Stetson Banks, as well as dozens of reefs and banks located along the continental shelf of the northwestern Gulf of Mexico. These geographically separated banks are mountain-like features formed by underlying salt deposits. Exploration of the banks has revealed extensive habitat supporting significant populations of marine animals at a variety of depths. While each bank may appear to be geographically isolated from one another, they are interconnected and part of the same ecosystem. Small rocky outcrops, other hard-bottom structures, and fields of algal nodules, provide intermittent habitat and food for various species in the region.
“The Gulf of Mexico is one of the most studied and heavily used waterbodies in the world and has been very important to our nation,” said John Armor, director of NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries. “Expanding the sanctuary’s boundaries to include additional habitats in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico recognizes the interconnectedness of Gulf ecosystems and will ensure they are well protected for future generations.”

The decision to expand the sanctuary’s boundaries was based on more than three decades of scientific exploration, public calls for additional protections, and extensive coordination with the Sanctuary Advisory Council.
“The 14 additional reefs and banks proposed for sanctuary expansion have long been recognized as hotspots of marine biodiversity that provide critical ecosystem services for the Gulf of Mexico region. These habitats are vulnerable to a variety of potential impacts, and protecting them will increase the resilience of marine ecosystems, allowing them to serve as engines of sustainability for the region’s thriving recreation, tourism, and commercial activities that drive coastal economies,” said George (G.P.) Schmahl, superintendent of Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary.
Studying and Protecting Diverse Habitats
The extended sanctuary protections will help to reduce damage to sensitive biological resources from bottom-tending fishing gear, ship anchoring, oil and gas activities, and salvage activities. Among the 14 new reefs and banks added to the sanctuary, is Horseshoe Bank, located between East and West Flower Garden Banks. Named for the overall horseshoe-like shape of the feature, Horseshoe Bank is the largest new addition to the sanctuary, covering 28.7 square miles of seafloor habitat, with bottom depths ranging from 250-575 ft. Within the boundaries of Horseshoe Bank lie a plethora of mesophotic patch reefs and a mud volcano, around a mile across, which releases methane gas through the seafloor. Horseshoe Bank was first discovered during multibeam mapping surveys in 2004, and has since been further explored.
The sanctuary has led much of the exploration and habitat characterization efforts over the past 20 years, but also worked with partners to increase our understanding of these ecosystems and inform future conservation and management. Dr. Tom Bright, an American oceanographer and retired associate professor of oceanography at Texas A&M University, studied the Flower Garden Banks in the 1970s. Known by many as “the Father of the Flower Garden Banks,” he played a major role in building the initial knowledge base of the marine resources in the area and garnering support for the sanctuary’s designation in 1992. Bright Bank, one of the new expansion areas, was named after Dr. Bright in honor of his many contributions to research and conservation in the region. When asked what the expansion of the sanctuary means to him, Bright replied, “This expansion is a significant step in establishing a continuous corridor of critical habitats facilitating the propagation, recruitment, and maintenance of essential hard-bank biotic communities on the Atlantic continental shelf. I am hopeful that the sanctuary will continue to develop its research and monitoring programs as the strongest tool in NOAA’s effort to conserve and properly manage these valuable resources.”
Diving Deeper
The coral reefs that people are most familiar with are shallow coral reefs – reefs that exist within recreational diving depths of about 130 feet. The coral reefs on the shallowest areas of East and West Flower Garden Banks start at around 54 feet, and continue down to depths of about 150 feet. They are easily accessed and well-studied, but make up a small percentage of the sanctuary’s waters. Much of the science in the last twenty years has focused on mesophotic and deep-sea coral reefs, coralline algae, sponge, and other marine invertebrate communities, as well as the soft-bottom habitats that exist in the deeper areas of the banks throughout the region.
Several new invertebrate species have been discovered during expeditions in recent years, including the discovery of a new black coral species at Elvers Bank, in a location just outside of the new sanctuary boundary. “As we continue to explore these deeper areas, we see that there are additional reef resources out there that we did not know about, and we continue to discover novel coral, sponge, and other invertebrate species. The more we understand these resources, the better equipped we can be to protect them,” said Schmahl.
Productive Fishing
Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary is an incredible oasis of life in the middle of the northwestern Gulf of Mexico with unique geologic and hydrologic features that support wildlife many fishers rely on. The natural hard-bottom habitats are teeming with life — including many bony fish species such as snapper, grouper, mackerel, and jacks — which is why these habitats are considered productive bottom and pelagic fishing spots throughout the year. Prior to expansion, these habitats were still vulnerable to a variety of known and potential impacts, including large vessel anchoring, marine salvage operations, incompatible fishing techniques, and certain oil and gas activities. Existing sanctuary regulations will now apply to the new expansion areas. Conventional hook and line fishing is the only form of fishing allowed in the sanctuary.

Scott Hickman, owner and operator of Circle H Outfitters and Charters and chair of the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council, has been fishing in the Gulf of Mexico for over three decades. Hickman expressed his thoughts about the expansion, stating that “more coral and healthier ecosystems means more fish, and fishers should be excited about this because protecting all these coral banks means you will have more sustainable fisheries.” Protecting these additional habitats could prove fruitful for several key fisheries in the region. Hickman explained that researchers recently discovered a spawning aggregation of cubera snapper in the expansion area, and there is also new data showing that other species may also be spawning in parts of the expanded sanctuary.
Not only do these areas include critical habitat for recreationally and commercially important fish, but also several threatened or endangered manta ray, shark, and sea turtle species in the Gulf of Mexico. Sharks, rays, sea turtles, and marine mammals are often caught as bycatch through fishing practices that are prohibited within the expanded sanctuary waters.
The sanctuary will continue working with researchers, local businesses, and stakeholders to continue protecting the natural resources within the sanctuary’s waters, while also encouraging responsible use and recreation.

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Issue 69 - February 2021
SEVENSEAS Travel Magazine – February 2021 – Issue 69

Winter Solstice Present to the Earth: Ivory Coast creates its first Marine Protected Area at Grand Béréby
The Government of Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) announced its first Marine Protected Area (MPA) in Grand-Béréby. Under Professor Joseph Séka SEKA’s chairmanship, Minister of the Environment and Sustainable Development a major ceremony took place on-site, with strong involvement of the local communities and high-level participation of different national ministries, UN representatives, and international guests, including the ambassador of Sweden. Read more…
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Sea Anemones Find Sweet Arrangement with Under-Skin Algae for Emergency Food Source
Every species needs a backup strategy when food is difficult to find. For sea anemones, Plan B is their symbiotic relationship with tiny algae living under their skin. University of California, Irvine biologists have published findings describing how anemones control this remarkable interaction. Read more…
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ANGARI Foundation to Premiere ‘Generation Ocean: Sharks’ 360 Film
ANGARI Foundation is excited to announce the release of its 360 film “Generation Ocean: Sharks,” premiering on January 27, 2021. The second of the “Generation Ocean” series, this short film follows Florida Atlantic University (FAU) shark scientist Stephen Kajiura and his research team from the FAU Elasmobranch Lab as they study the well-known blacktip shark migration, a natural phenomenon that brings blacktip populations down the eastern coast of the United States to South Florida every winter. Read more…
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Frontline Workers Honored with Free Dive Vacations in Yap
The remote island of Yap in the Federated States of Micronesia is among the few places in the world that remains free of Covid-19 thanks to its ocean border and a strict travel ban that has kept its residents safe. Read more…
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Methane-Busting Seaweed Farms on Track for 2021 Production
Construction of the first farm and processing plant to turn red seaweed into a feed supplement for cows to reduce their methane production by 90 per cent is expected to begin mid-next year in South Australia. Sustainable agriculture company CH4 plans to build its first two facilities in South Australia with further ‘eco-parks’ planned in the state and in New Zealand. Read more…
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What Do Homeowners Think About Climate Change?
Since the late 1800s, the global temperature of Earth has increased by 1 degree Celsius(or 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit). Studies suggest that if we stay on the same emissions path we are on today, the global temperature will increase 1.5 degrees Celsius by 2040 and 2 degrees Celsius by 2100. Read more…
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Feature Destination: Grand Béréby: Ivory Coast’s first Marine Protected Area
Home to 1625 species of fish, not to mention sea turtles, whales, and dolphins, the Great Barrier Reef is a place where the best of Queensland marine life encounters are pretty much guaranteed. With 2300km of coral reef stretching from Bundaberg all the way up to Cape York to explore, you might be wondering where to begin – or how much time you’ll need to see it all. Read more…
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The pink hairy squat lobster – Jack’s February Underwater Photograph
This marine crustacean is commonly known as the “Pink hairy squat lobster”, also known as the “Fairy crab”. Its scientific name is Lauriea siagiani. Actually, L. siagiani is not really a lobster but belongs to a group of crabs called Anomurans. Read more …
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Ocean Valentines – Printable Cards & GIF’s
Our love for ocean animals + ocean puns equals a match made in heaven that’s perfect for Valentine’s Day cards! So we’ve taken 18 ocean animals from our children’s books and transformed them into sweet little free printable cards – both full color AND coloring sheets (& mini-envelope template). PLUS, we’ve made 6 of them into animated GIFs that you can send digitally! Here’s one for a peek. See More…
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Dive Guides Called to Apply for the Green Fins Dive Guide Scholarship
The Reef-World Foundation – international coordinator of the UN Environment Programme’s Green Fins initiative – is calling for dive guides to submit their application for the Green Fins Dive Guide Scholarship. As a result of the Scholarship campaign, dive guides working around the world – including Brazil, the Philippines, Egypt, Colombia, South Africa, Indonesia, and Turkey – have received their certificate proving their status as a Green Fins certified dive guide. Read more…
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Project Holocene by Russ Ronat
Russ Ronat is an artist and the creator of Project Holocene. The project has been shown at zoos, science, and art museums around the world. The project focuses on large mixed media paintings of endangered animals. The artist also creates projected films that show the steps of the drawings in creation. See more…
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Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary Triples In Size
Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary has been expanded from 56 to 160 square miles. The expansion adds 14 additional reefs and banks to the sanctuary, with slight adjustments to the boundaries of the sanctuary’s original three banks. Read more…
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IPNLF calls on IOTC to take decisive action on yellowfin stock rebuilding at Special Session in early 2021
The International Pole & Line Foundation (IPNLF) is calling on members of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) to take urgent action, while working in the best interests of the region’s tuna resources and its coastal fisheries, when this regional fisheries management organization convenes its Special Session in early March 2021 to discuss the rebuilding of the overfished Indian Ocean yellowfin tuna stock. Read more…
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NOAA expands Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary in the Gulf of Mexico
NOAA is expanding Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary from approximately 56 square miles to approximately 160 square miles to protect additional important Gulf of Mexico habitat. The move builds upon the sanctuary’s rich 30-year history of scientific studies and public review of the preservation of this special place. Read more…
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First New Seafloor Map of the Decade Collected on New Year’s Expedition in Australian Waters
Schmidt Ocean Institute’s research vessel Falkor has collected the first public seafloor data of the New Year, as part of a global effort to map the entire ocean floor by 2030. Australian scientists aboard the ship literally “Pinged in the New Year” as they sent sonar waves down to the ocean floor at midnight on Dec. 31 and throughout New Year’s Day, flying the first official flag of The Nippon Foundation-GEBCO Seabed 2030 Project. Read more…
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Miami-based Start-Up Launches Venture Studio & Innovation Pipeline to Save the Oceans

Seaworthy Collective (SC), a new Miami based start-up is empowering a community of current and aspiring ocean entrepreneurs (known as sea change makers) to innovate for regenerative ocean impact, officially launches their Opportunities for Sea Change initiative. Read more…
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New Online Platform Creates Knowledge Portal for Aquaculture Farmers
The Gulf of Maine Research Institute announced the launch of The Maine Aquaculturist — a free-to-use online knowledge portal designed to help Maine’s sea farmers access an array of existing business resources across the state. Maine’s rapidly growing aquaculture industry enjoys a comprehensive support system that includes state agencies, NGOs, research labs, academic institutions, trade groups, and other organizations invested in the economic potential aquaculture brings to the state. Read more…
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An Angler’s Winter Chore May Spark an Idea to Make the World a Better Place
Winter is annual maintenance time for many anglers, and re-spooling with a new line and recycling the old is a common task. Ever thought about what happens once you dispose of the old line in a fishing line recycling tube? Read more…
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The FREE Weekly Conservation Post and Jobs List
Signing up for the free Weekly Newsletter & Jobs List will get you a round-up of upcoming events, webinars, meetings, reports, funding opportunities, photos of the week, and recent postings to the jobs list.
To sign up for our free subscription, please Click Here or email us Here.
Since 2004, SEVENSEAS Media has fostered an informal and non-partisan platform to promote understanding of key issues and challenges while building partnerships across an increasingly diverse group of marine conservation professionals and students.
Our mission is to promote communication and build partnerships across the global marine community and to identify and address gaps in the community’s work. SEVENSEAS Media achieves this through multimedia promotion and partnerships. The community consists of a diverse and growing group of participants, including non-governmental organizations, government agencies, foundations, bilateral and multilateral agencies, fellowship programs, independent consultants, and academia/students.
If you are interested in contributing or getting involved, email us Here.
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Issue 69 - February 2021
An Angler’s Winter Chore May Spark an Idea to Make the World a Better Place

Winter is annual maintenance time for many anglers, and re-spooling with a new line and recycling the old is a common task. Ever thought about what happens once you dispose of the old line in a fishing line recycling tube?
It’s not pretty. Turning fishing lines into new products is labor-intensive, requiring a series of workers to manually comb through, sort, clean, remove hooks and weights, and separate out miles of encrusted debris in an entangled fishing line. So as you pile up a few reels of the line to be recycled this winter, the BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water is asking for your ideas on how to help grow the volume of line recycled each year.
Teaming up with fishing tackle company Berkley, the BoatUS Foundation’s Recast & Recycle Contest seeks out new ideas and improvements to the process, new ideas for recycled products, or technology breakthroughs for the current process that will increase the volume of line and soft baits that are recycled. Entry is simple – all you have to do is send a short video or one-page summary explaining your idea. Thirty thousand dollars in prize money is at stake for the three best ideas submitted through May 14, 2021.
“It’s great that anglers recycle,” said BoatUS Foundation Director of Outreach Alanna Keating. “Now we need to ask for help with scaling up recycling with a greater volume of line, whether it’s a time- and labor-saving process improvement or creating a new market to fully sustain recycling efforts.”
Judges will add weight to contest submissions that actually work, are practical, innovative, and have the potential to have a significant impact.
The first-place prize is $15,000, second place receives $10,000, and $5,000 will be awarded for third place. Contest submissions can address any part of the process (or multiple parts) of taking discarded fishing lines and soft plastics from the end of life to a new beginning. Professionals, amateurs, and students alike are encouraged to apply, as are school teams and groups. Contest entries can be submitted with as little as a link to a video demonstration of the idea or a one-page graphic summary. Videos are limited to 4 minutes.
Contest rules and conditions, details on the current recycling process, and videos on how various plastics and soft baits are recycled can be found at the Recast & Recycle website BoatUS.org/Contest.

About the BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water
The BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water is a national leader promoting safe, clean, and responsible boating. Funded primarily by donations from the more than 700,000 members of Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS), the nonprofit provides innovative educational outreach directly to boaters and anglers with the aim of reducing accidents and fatalities, increasing stewardship of America’s waterways, and keeping boating safe for all. A range of boating safety courses – including 36 free state courses – can be found at BoatUS.org/Courses.
About Pure Fishing
Pure Fishing, Inc. is a leading global provider of fishing tackle, lures, rods, and reels with a portfolio of brands that includes Abu Garcia, All-Star, Berkley, Fenwick, Fin-Nor, Greys, Hardy, Hodgman, Johnson, JRC, Mitchell, Penn, Pflueger, Sebile, Shakespeare®, SpiderWire, Stren, Ugly Stik, and Van Staal.
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Conservation Photography
The pink hairy squat lobster – Photo taken in Indonesia – Jack’s February Underwater Photograph

This marine crustacean is commonly known as the “Pink hairy squat lobster”, also known as the “Fairy crab”. Its scientific name is Lauriea siagiani. Actually, L. siagiani is not really a lobster, but belongs to a group of crabs called Anomurans.
Anomurans are decapod crustaceans, meaning they have ten appendages (legs). But unlike their relatives called brachyuran (the true crabs), the two rear appendages are small and are hidden under the shell, together with the respiratory organs or gills.
The fairy crabs are tiny. Adults typically measure no more than 1.5 centimetres; thus they are of no value from the point of view of a commercial fishery. However, despite their small size, and because of it, they are spectacularly beautiful. Their body is almost translucent; their legs show edges of intense, nearly florescent pinkish-purple color, with purple spots and lots of white hairs covering the entire body.
Anomuran crustaceans live in almost all oceans, but this particular species, the fairy crab, lives associated with a species of sea sponge called the “Giant barrel sponge” (Xestospongia testudinaria) which abounds in coral and rocky reefs off the coast of the Lesser Sunda Islands (Bali) and Sulawesi, Indonesia.
Fairy crabs are usually difficult to photograph because they are very shy and hide under the projections on the sides of the sponges.
See more of Jack Fung’s underwater photography on Instagram
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