Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary is getting expanded to protect more reefs and banks in the Gulf of Mexico.
In the final rule issued Tuesday, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said the marine sanctuary will be expanded to 160 square miles, up from 56 square miles, and will protect 14 additional reefs and banks.
More on the expansion: Flower Garden Banks continue to rile oil, activists
Flower Garden Banks was designated as a National Marine Sanctuary on Jan. 17, 1992. Located off the coasts of Texas and Louisiana, Flower Garden Banks is a manta ray nursery and feeding ground for sea turtles, sharks and many species of fish.
The expansion comes after years of study. And due to a compromise among members of an advisory council, it is smaller than NOAA initially recommended.
The Turtle Island Restoration Network and the Environment Texas Research and Policy Center issued a news release that stated the expansion left out 223 square miles that could have also been protected from the destructive impacts of fishing, anchoring ships, oil and gas exploration and production, and salvage activities.
“Although this plan extends protections, we are disappointed the alternative that would have allowed for the largest possible expansion was not chosen,” Joanie Steinhaus, Gulf program director of Turtle Island Restoration Network, said in the news release. “It is the responsibility of NOAA to protect marine environments of significant importance. The marine animals that mate, feed, nurse, and live in Flower Garden Banks deserve the best protection possible.”
The expansion will become effective after 45 days of continuous session of Congress. Legislators will have an opportunity to review the final proposal.
The Link LonkJanuary 20, 2021 at 11:59PM
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/houston/article/Flower-Garden-Banks-to-be-expanded-in-the-Gulf-of-15882257.php
Flower Garden Banks to be expanded in the Gulf of Mexico - Houston Chronicle
https://news.google.com/search?q=Flower&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en
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