AOML Scientists Establish Ocean Acidification Monitoring Site at Flower Garden Banks

AOML successfully established the final of three sentinel climate and ocean acidification monitoring sites at the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary in the Gulf of Mexico this month. Below are a few photos taken by AOML researchers of the biodiversity found on the reefs at the Flower Garden Banks.

Photo credit: Lauren Valentino, NOAA

Image Captions

From Left:

1. A Christmas Tree Worm on a reef in the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary. Image credit: NOAA
2. A juvenile Jack-knife fish on a reef in the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary. Image credit: NOAA
3. Schools of fish glide over a reef in the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary. Image credit: NOAA
4. A Spotted eel checks out the camera during a reef dive in the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary. Image credit: NOAA
5. The NOAA research vessel Manta at port in Galveston, Texas before its sail to the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary. Image credit: NOAA
6. A close-up of the grooves on a brain coral head in the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary. Image credit: NOAA
7. Yellow Cluster anemones in the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary. Image credit: NOAA
8. A Christmas Tree worm makes its way across a bed of coral polyps. Image credit: NOAA
9. An AOML coral scientist collects data from a Benthic Ecosystem Acidification Monitoring System station in the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary. Image credit: NOAA
10. Sunset from the R/V Manta in the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary. Image credit: NOAA