1REEF, 2NOAA's National Marine Sanctuary
![[Flower Garden Banks Survey Team]](pics/AGRRAscuba3_.jpg)
During the week of August 15-20, 1999 AGRRA surveys were conducted by NOAA staff in conjunction with a Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF) field survey for volunteer fish monitoring at the Flower Garden National Marine Sanctuary (FGNMS) in the Northwest Gulf of Mexico. This cruise was co-sponsored by REEF and the FGNMS. The two sites surveyed were the East and West Banks of FGNMS. Six scientists from the National Marine Sanctuary Program conducted a total of 25 benthic surveys. Three REEF experts conducted 24 fish belt transects and 26 roving diver fish surveys.
The East and West Flower Garden Banks (EFG and WFG) are underwater features caused by uplift of Jurassic age salt and rise about 100 m above the surrounding depths on the edge of the U.S. Gulf Coast continental shelf. These banks experience a relatively low level of anthropogenic impact mainly due to the fact that they are over 150 km from the coast. They are managed and protected by NOAA's National Marine Sanctuary Program and the Department of Interior's Minerals Management Service. Diving is allowed on the banks and moorings have been installed to eliminate anchor damage. Fishing techniques that disturb benthic habitats are prohibited.
The reefs that occur on these banks have been well documented and are characterized by low coral diversity, high coral cover, large coral size, and low macroalge abundance relative to most Caribbean reefs. Fish diversity is also lower than most Caribbean reefs but abundances are high and very little fishing pressure exists on the reefs.
A team of seven scientists and three REEF experts conducted an AGRRA on EFG and WFG during August 15-20, 1999. The reef surveys were at depths between 18-25 m. At the EFG 160 coral colonies were surveyed, 67 algae quadrats examined, 15 roving diver fish surveys conducted, and 12 fish belt transects conducted. At the WFG 135 coral colonies and 55 algae quadrats were examined, 11 roving diver fish surveys conducted, and 12 fish belt transects were performed.
![[Typical reef site for
survey]](pics/stonycoralburek.jpg)
These surveys revealed very healthy reefs with high coral cover, dominated by impressive, healthy, and large corals, little macroalgae and abundant fish populations. At EFG and WFG, the average percent coral cover was 53.9 and 48.8, respectively. The reefs were dominated by relatively large mounding corals primarily in the genera Montastraea, Diploria and Colpophyllia. This was reflected in the average coral diameters from EFG and WFG, 81 and 93 cm, respectively. At both sites the percent of recent coral mortality was very low (<2.5%). Macroalgae cover was very low at both sites, however at EFG, a cyanobacteria mat was common in the algae quadrats. There was minimal bleaching observed. The widespread 1998 bleaching event did not occur at the Flower Garden Banks. Few incidences of disease were recorded in the transects but parrotfish bites on coral were common at both sites.
A total of 126 fish species were seen at EFG and WFG. One new record for the banks was recorded, sharptail eel (Myrichthys breviceps). The eel was seen at the WFG, and had also been recorded on video earlier this summer. Preliminary analysis of the fish transect data showed high similarity between the EFG and WFG locations. Differences were seen in the butterflyfishes and seabasses. The density of the reef butterflyfish (Chaetodon sedentarius) was two and a half times greater at the WFG. Similarly, the density of graysby (Epinephelus cruentatus) at the WFG was approximately twice that found at EFG. Grunts were absent at both banks, a distinguishing characteristic of the Flower Garden Bank's fish assemblages. Average size of parrotfish and seabass was relatively high, reflecting the low fishing pressure.
Overall, these reefs, which exist at the northern limits of reef development, appear to be very healthy with stable populations of coral, little macroalgae and robust fish populations.
For more information contact Christy Pattengill at pattengill@excite.com or Tom Shyka Tom.Shyka@noaa.gov.
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