Texas's Flower Garden Banks Sanctuary Hosts Resilient Coral Reefs Amid Global Climate Crisis

Despite some bleaching, the sanctuary's reefs show remarkable recovery, but climate models predict severe annual bleaching for all coral by 2040.

The Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, located about 100 miles off the Texas coast in the Gulf of Mexico, hosts some of the world's healthiest coral reefs, boasting a stunning amount of coral coverage.
Despite some moderate bleaching this year, the sanctuary's reefs have shown resilience, bouncing back quickly thanks to their overall health and depth.
Climate models suggest that all of the world's coral will be suffering severe bleaching every year beginning around 2040, posing a significant threat to these ecosystems.
Efforts are underway to help the reefs stay healthy, including reducing stresses such as anchor damage and invasive species, and banking and studying samples of healthy corals for potential future replanting.
The sanctuary's deeper habitat is being studied to guide the restoration of other reefs in the Gulf that were damaged by the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.