Time running out to comment on reef management

Did you know the healthiest coral reefs in the western hemisphere are off the coast of Texas?

If not, you are not alone. Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, one of America’s ocean treasures, is 115 miles from Galveston, out in the Gulf of Mexico.

The sanctuary is home to magnificent coral reefs, brilliant reef fishes and deep-sea corals that provide essential habitat for wildlife and recreational opportunities for people. Unfortunately, it’s a place many people might never see, but it’s a place that depends on us for its very survival.

Through a combination of research, monitoring, education and other tools, we strive to ensure that this wonderful place stays healthy and productive for years to come.

As part of this process, we released a draft management plan in October. This plan outlines strategies for managing the sanctuary in the next five to 10 years and includes input from an advisory council and comments collected through a public scoping process.

A short time still remains for more public input. We’d like to receive your comments on the draft management plan so that we can make sure it’s a plan that meets the needs of the communities that use and influence it.

This is your sanctuary. Tell us what you think about it. Help us manage it. Get to know it!

Information about the sanctuary, including the draft plan and how to submit comments, is available on our website at flowergarden.noaa.gov.

You also can contact sanctuary staff at 409-621-5151, Ext. 103. Public comments on the draft plan are due by Thursday.

Kelly Drinnen is the education and outreach specialist for the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary.