Since 1989, a federally supported long-term coral reef monitoring program has focused on two study sites atop East Flower Garden Bank and West Flower Garden Bank (EFGB and WFGB) in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico. In 26 years of continuous monitoring, mean coral cover has ranged from 37% to 64% within EFGB and WFGB study sites, and averaged 53% over the 26 year monitoring record. Despite global coral reef decline in recent decades, EFGB and WFGB have suffered minimally from hurricanes, coral bleaching, and disease, and the reef supports relatively diverse and abundant benthic and fish populations.

USD: $750,000

2019-02-28 → 2024-02-28