gov.noaa.nodc:NOS-FGBNMS-CoralReefs eng utf8 series NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information ncei.info@noaa.gov https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/contact HTTPS NOAA Contact Information Information for contacts at NCEI. information custodian 2026-07-06T13:53:02Z ISO 19115-2 Geographic Information - Metadata - Part 2: Extensions for Imagery and Gridded Data ISO 19115-2:2009(E) Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary Long-Term Monitoring of the Coral Reef Caps of East Flower Garden Bank and West Flower Garden Bank 2025-09-17 publication 2026-06-30 revision 2025-08-07 creation NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information gov.noaa.nodc:NOS-FGBNMS-CoralReefs NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information ncei.info@noaa.gov https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/contact HTTPS NCEI Contact Information Information for contacts at NCEI. information publisher Kelly O'Connell Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (FGBNMS) kelly.oconnell@noaa.gov https://flowergarden.noaa.gov/ HTTPS Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (FGBNMS) website Institution web page information resourceProvider Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (FGBNMS) https://flowergarden.noaa.gov/ HTTPS Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (FGBNMS) website Institution web page information resourceProvider Cardinal Point Captains under contract to Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary kelly.oconnell@noaa.gov principalInvestigator Michelle Johnston Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (FGBNMS) michelle.a.johnston@noaa.gov https://flowergarden.noaa.gov/ HTTPS Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (FGBNMS) website Institution web page information collaborator Olivia J. Eisenbach Cardinal Point Captains under contract to Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary olivia.eisenbach@noaa.gov collaborator Ryan Hannum Cardinal Point Captains under contract to Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary ryan.hannum@noaa.gov collaborator Donavon French Cardinal Point Captains under contract to Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary donavon.french@noaa.gov collaborator Jacque Cresswell Cardinal Point Captains under contract to Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary jacque.cresswell@noaa.gov collaborator Marissa Nuttall Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (FGBNMS) marissa.nuttall@noaa.gov https://flowergarden.noaa.gov/ HTTPS Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (FGBNMS) website Institution web page information collaborator Emma Hickerson Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (FGBNMS) https://flowergarden.noaa.gov/ HTTPS Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (FGBNMS) website Institution web page information collaborator George Schmahl Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (FGBNMS) https://flowergarden.noaa.gov/ HTTPS Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (FGBNMS) website Institution web page information collaborator Raven Blakeway Cardinal Point Captains under contract to Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary collaborator Jimmy MacMillan Cardinal Point Captains under contract to Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary collaborator Xinping Hu Texas A&M University at Galveston (TAMUG) https://www.tamug.edu/ HTTPS Texas A&M University at Galveston (TAMUG) website Institution web page information collaborator John Embesi Cardinal Point Captains under contract to Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary collaborator O'Connell, Kelly Cardinal Point Captains under contract to Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary author Johnston, Michelle A. Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary https://flowergarden.noaa.gov/ HTTPS Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (FGBNMS) website Institution web page information author Eisenbach, Olivia J. Cardinal Point Captains under contract to Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary author Hannum, Ryan Cardinal Point Captains under contract to Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary author French, Donavon Cardinal Point Captains under contract to Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary author Cresswell, Jacque Cardinal Point Captains under contract to Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary author Nuttall, Marissa Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary https://flowergarden.noaa.gov/ HTTPS Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (FGBNMS) website Institution web page information author Hickerson, Emma Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary https://flowergarden.noaa.gov/ HTTPS Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (FGBNMS) website Institution web page information author Schmahl, George Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary https://americansamoa.noaa.gov/ HTTPS National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa (NMSAS) website Institution web page information author Blakeway, Raven D. Cardinal Point Captains under contract to Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary author Caporaso, Alicia L. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management http://www.boem.gov/ HTTP Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) website Institution web page information author Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (FGBNMS) https://flowergarden.noaa.gov/ HTTPS Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (FGBNMS) website Institution web page information contributor tableDigital These datasets contain raw and processed data from an annual long-term monitoring program documenting fish and benthic community observations, along with water quality measurements, at East Flower Garden Bank (EFGB) and West Flower Garden Bank (WFGB). These two sites are part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (FGBNMS), located in the northwestern Gulf of America. Monitoring began in 1989 and is funded by FGBNMS and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, with support from the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation. EFGB and WFGB are coral reef-capped features that form part of a discontinuous arc of reef environments along the outer continental shelf. They rise from salt dome formations located approximately 190 km south of the Texas-Louisiana border and include habitats ranging from 16 to 166 meters in depth. The shallow bank caps lie within the photic zone and support diverse coral, algal, invertebrate, and fish communities, many of which are shared with Caribbean reef systems. Benthic community data are derived from benthic photo analysis using Coral Point Count with Excel extensions (CPCe). Fish surveys are conducted annually using a modified Bohnsack and Bannerot stationary point count method, and results are recorded in Excel spreadsheets. Water quality parameters (e.g., temperature, salinity, turbidity, nutrients) are obtained from moored conductivity-temperature-depth (CTD) instruments, water samples, and quarterly profiling of the water column. Since 1989, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), through the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, has monitored the health of the reefs at East and West Flower Garden Banks (EFGB and WFGB). This long-term monitoring effort is designed to assess reef condition by tracking changes in coral and other benthic community cover, reef fish population dynamics, water quality, and other indices of ecosystem vitality. The program supports the early detection of changes in reef communities, including potential impacts from natural disturbances and anthropogenic stressors such as climate change or offshore energy development. Funding Agency: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Funding Agency: Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary completed historicalArchive NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information ncei.info@noaa.gov https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/contact HTTPS NCEI Contact Information Information for contacts at NCEI. information pointOfContact asNeeded https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/metadata/landing-page/bin/gfx?id=gov.noaa.nodc:NOS-FGBNMS-CoralReefs Preview graphic PNG 0306920 0308032 0312371 0315736 0315737 0315949 NCEI ACCESSION NUMBER 2026-06-08 publication AMMONIA (NH3) ARAGONITE SATURATION STATE BENTHIC COMMUNITIES BENTHIC SPECIES BENTHIC SPECIES - TAXA COUNTS BENTHIC SPECIES - TAXA IDENTITIES BIOCHEMISTRY biological data CARBON - CARBONATE CHLOROPHYLL A CORAL CORAL - BLEACHING CORAL - CENSUS CORAL - COLONY SIZE CORAL - SPECIES IDENTIFICATION DELTA CARBON-13 DEPTH - OBSERVATION DISSOLVED INORGANIC CARBON (DIC) DISSOLVED OXYGEN Fish FISH - CORAL REEF FISH CENSUS FISH SPECIES FLUORESCENCE HABITAT - BENTHIC HYDROSTATIC PRESSURE images INVERTEBRATE SPECIES LATITUDE LONGITUDE NITRATE NITRITE NITROGEN partial pressure of carbon dioxide - water PARTICULATE CARBON pH PHOTOQUADRAT IMAGES SALINITY SPECIES - PERCENT OCCURRENCE species abundance SPECIES IDENTIFICATION SPECIES IDENTIFICATION - COUNT SPONGE SPECIES IDENTIFICATION total alkalinity Total nitrogen TOTAL PHOSPHORUS turbidity WATER TEMPERATURE theme NODC DATA TYPES THESAURUS buoy - moored buoy camera CTD CTD - moored CTD Niskin bottle photo-identification techniques photograph swimmer/diver temperature sensor thermistor turbidity sensor instrument NODC INSTRUMENT TYPES THESAURUS biological imagery in situ laboratory analyses survey - biological theme NODC OBSERVATION TYPES THESAURUS Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary dataCentre NODC COLLECTING INSTITUTION NAMES THESAURUS Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary dataCentre NODC SUBMITTING INSTITUTION NAMES THESAURUS CORAL REEF STUDIES LONG TERM MONITORING EAST-WEST FLOWER GARDEN BANKS project NODC PROJECT NAMES THESAURUS Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary Gulf of America Gulf of Mexico place NODC SEA AREA NAMES THESAURUS oceanography theme WMO_CategoryCode 2012-09-15 publication DOC/NOAA/NOS/NMS > National Marine Sanctuaries, National Ocean Service, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce dataCentre Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Data Center Keywords 2026 revision 24 Earth Science Data and Information System, Earth Science Projects Division, Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Greenbelt MD https://forum.earthdata.nasa.gov/app.php/tag/GCMD%2BKeywords HTTPS GCMD Keyword Forum Page Global Change Master Directory (GCMD). 2025. GCMD Keywords, Version 21. Greenbelt, MD: Earth Science Data and Information System, Earth Science Projects Division, Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). URL (GCMD Keyword Forum Page): https://forum.earthdata.nasa.gov/app.php/tag/GCMD+Keywords information custodian EARTH SCIENCE > AGRICULTURE > ANIMAL SCIENCE > ANIMAL PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY EARTH SCIENCE > BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION EARTH SCIENCE > BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION > ANIMALS/INVERTEBRATES EARTH SCIENCE > BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION > ANIMALS/INVERTEBRATES > SPONGES EARTH SCIENCE > BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION > ANIMALS/VERTEBRATES > FISH EARTH SCIENCE > BIOSPHERE > ECOSYSTEMS > MARINE ECOSYSTEMS > BENTHIC EARTH SCIENCE > BIOSPHERE > ECOSYSTEMS > MARINE ECOSYSTEMS > REEF > CORAL REEF EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > COASTAL PROCESSES > CORAL REEFS > CORAL BLEACHING EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > OCEAN CHEMISTRY EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > OCEAN CHEMISTRY > ALKALINITY EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > OCEAN CHEMISTRY > AMMONIA EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > OCEAN CHEMISTRY > CARBON EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > OCEAN CHEMISTRY > CARBON DIOXIDE EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > OCEAN CHEMISTRY > CARBONATE EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > OCEAN CHEMISTRY > CHLOROPHYLL EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > OCEAN CHEMISTRY > INORGANIC CARBON EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > OCEAN CHEMISTRY > NITRATE EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > OCEAN CHEMISTRY > NITRITE EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > OCEAN CHEMISTRY > NITROGEN EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > OCEAN CHEMISTRY > OXYGEN EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > OCEAN CHEMISTRY > PH EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > OCEAN OPTICS > FLUORESCENCE EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > OCEAN OPTICS > TURBIDITY EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > OCEAN PRESSURE > WATER PRESSURE EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > OCEAN TEMPERATURE > WATER TEMPERATURE EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > SALINITY/DENSITY > SALINITY EARTH SCIENCE > SOLID EARTH > GEOMORPHIC LANDFORMS/PROCESSES > COASTAL LANDFORMS > CORAL REEFS EARTH SCIENCE > SPECTRAL/ENGINEERING > VISIBLE WAVELENGTHS > VISIBLE IMAGERY theme Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Science Keywords 2026 revision 24 Earth Science Data and Information System, Earth Science Projects Division, Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Greenbelt MD https://forum.earthdata.nasa.gov/app.php/tag/GCMD%2BKeywords HTTPS GCMD Keyword Forum Page Global Change Master Directory (GCMD). 2025. GCMD Keywords, Version 21. Greenbelt, MD: Earth Science Data and Information System, Earth Science Projects Division, Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). URL (GCMD Keyword Forum Page): https://forum.earthdata.nasa.gov/app.php/tag/GCMD+Keywords information custodian BENTHIC SPECIES (RANDOM TRANSECT) BENTHIC SPECIES (REPETITIVE PHOTOSTATIONS) BENTHIC SPECIES - TAXA COUNTS (URCHIN AND LOBSTER REEF CREST) FISH CENSUS (REEF CREST) WATER QUALITY (MOORED) WATER QUALITY (PROFILES) WATER QUALITY (SAMPLES) WATER QUALITY (SOFAR OCEAN SPOTTER BUOY) theme Provider Keywords CAMERA > CAMERA CTD > Conductivity, Temperature, Depth NISKIN BOTTLES Photo-Identification Techniques TEMPERATURE SENSORS > TEMPERATURE SENSORS THERMISTORS > THERMISTORS TURBIDITY METERS > TURBIDITY METERS instrument Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Instrument Keywords 2026 revision 24 Earth Science Data and Information System, Earth Science Projects Division, Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Greenbelt MD https://forum.earthdata.nasa.gov/app.php/tag/GCMD%2BKeywords HTTPS GCMD Keyword Forum Page Global Change Master Directory (GCMD). 2025. GCMD Keywords, Version 21. Greenbelt, MD: Earth Science Data and Information System, Earth Science Projects Division, Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). URL (GCMD Keyword Forum Page): https://forum.earthdata.nasa.gov/app.php/tag/GCMD+Keywords information custodian Sofar buoy instrument Provider Instruments M/V Fling R/V Manta platform Provider Platform Names OCEAN > ATLANTIC OCEAN > NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN > GULF OF AMERICA OCEAN > ATLANTIC OCEAN > NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN > GULF OF MEXICO place Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Location Keywords 2026 revision 24 Earth Science Data and Information System, Earth Science Projects Division, Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Greenbelt MD https://forum.earthdata.nasa.gov/app.php/tag/GCMD%2BKeywords HTTPS GCMD Keyword Forum Page Global Change Master Directory (GCMD). 2025. GCMD Keywords, Version 21. Greenbelt, MD: Earth Science Data and Information System, Earth Science Projects Division, Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). URL (GCMD Keyword Forum Page): https://forum.earthdata.nasa.gov/app.php/tag/GCMD+Keywords information custodian Northwest Gulf of Mexico place Provider Place Names 5A23WH 7A6W8N JFN4R9 JT507T M5FR3H YLYHXY Send2NCEI Submission Package ID accessLevel: public otherRestrictions Cite as: O'Connell, Kelly; Johnston, Michelle A.; Eisenbach, Olivia J.; Hannum, Ryan; French, Donavon; Cresswell, Jacque; Nuttall, Marissa; Hickerson, Emma; Schmahl, George; Blakeway, Raven D.; Caporaso, Alicia L. (2025). Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary Long-Term Monitoring of the Coral Reef Caps of East Flower Garden Bank and West Flower Garden Bank. [indicate subset used]. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/archive/accession/NOS-FGBNMS-CoralReefs. Accessed [date]. 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SPDX License: Creative Commons Zero v1.0 Universal (CC0-1.0) eng; USA utf8 environment oceans imageryBaseMapsEarthCover biota -93.84 -93.58 27.84 27.94 2019-01-01 2024-12-31 NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information +1-301-713-3277 ncei.info@noaa.gov pointOfContact In most cases, electronic downloads of the data are free. However, fees may apply for custom orders, data certifications, copies of analog materials, and data distribution on physical media. Contact NCEI for other distribution options and instructions. CPCe CPC CSV JPEG PDF Text File 41623.536 https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/archive/accession/NOS-FGBNMS-CoralReefs HTTPS Web browser NCEI Dataset Landing Page Navigate directly to the URL for a descriptive web page with download links. information https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/metadata/granule/geoportal/?from=0&size=10&esdsl=%7B%22query%22%3A%7B%22bool%22%3A%7B%22must%22%3A%5B%7B%22query_string%22%3A%7B%22analyze_wildcard%22%3Atrue%2C%22query%22%3A%22fileid%3ANOS-FGBNMS-CoralReefs.*%22%7D%7D%5D%7D%7D%7D#searchPanel HTTPS Web browser Granule Search Search for data granules belonging to this collection (a granule is the smallest aggregation of data that can be independently described and retrieved). search series NCEI Accession 0306920 v1.1 was published. 2025-09-17T20:42:45Z NCEI Accession 0308032 v1.1 was published. 2025-10-30T18:50:14Z NCEI Accession 0312371 v1.1 was published. 2026-02-24T13:30:21Z NCEI Accession 0315949 v1.1 was published. 2026-06-30T13:07:09Z NCEI Accession 0315736 v1.1 was published. 2026-06-30T13:37:29Z NCEI Accession 0315737 v1.1 was published. 2026-06-30T14:45:11Z asNeeded Metadata are developed, maintained and distributed by NCEI. Updates are performed as needed to maintain currentness. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information custodian buoy - moored buoy buoy - moored buoy a moored buoy does not measure anything. it is a platform for instruments, which do measure things. camera camera An instrument for recording images. CTD CTD Conductivity-Temperature-Depth probe CTD - moored CTD CTD - moored CTD CTD - moored CTD Niskin bottle Niskin bottle Device for obtaining samples of seawater at a specific depth Why special entry for Niskin bottle but no entry for Nansen bottle? photo-identification techniques photo-identification techniques A method of identifying species with persistent external patterns that can be used to identify unique individuals over the course of most of their adult life span. Examples include spots, anomalous pigmentation, and patterns on the trailing edges of marine mammal fins. https://gcmd.earthdata.nasa.gov/KeywordViewer/scheme/all/a9b6ed7f-2e26-4749-98f0-b3617451192b?gtm_keyword=Photo-Identification%20Techniques photograph photograph still images used as the basis for making parameter determinations swimmer/diver swimmer/diver not an instrument - use as observation type temperature sensor temperature sensor A sensor used to measure temperature. thermistor thermistor electronic temperature sensor thermally sensitive resistor turbidity sensor turbidity sensor Measures the turbidity of water Turbidity sensors measure the amount of light that is scattered by suspended solids in a liquid, such as water. When the concentration of total suspended solids (TSS) and total dissolved solids (TDS) in a liquid increase, the turbidity also increases.