Long-Term Monitoring at the East and West Flower Garden Banks,2004-2005-Interim Report Volume 1:Technical Report

The Flower Garden Banks, remotely located topographic features on the continental shelf in the Gulf of Mexico, are afforded a certain measure of natural protection due to their geographic distance from land. Problems that affect coral reefs throughout the region, including land-based sources of pollution, overfishing, and coral disease have, to date, not had a measurable effect at the Flower Garden Banks. In addition to their relative isolation, the depth of these reefs, 18-48 m, has protected the corals from severe bleaching events that have had devastating effects on most western Atlantic reefs. Although coral disease has been identified at the Flower Garden Banks, the incidence and prevalence have been low compared to other sites within the western Atlantic reef-building province.