<
https://texashighways.com/outdoors/water/the-marine-sanctuary-protecting-the-gulfs-coral-life/>
"About 15 years ago, 100 miles off the Texas coast, Houston scuba diver Andy
Lewis jumped off a boat and into the gentle waves. As he descended into clear
blue water, he found himself surrounded by hammerhead sharks.
“It was like magic,” he recalls. “You’re out in the middle of nowhere, and
suddenly it’s like you’re on top of the Caribbean.”
Lewis was visiting the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, created
in 1992 to protect colorful tropical coral reefs that support the marine life
along our shores. The “sanctuary” designation has helped these reefs remain
among the healthiest in the world. But now, they face increasing threats
including coral bleaching, a phenomenon where corals expel their
energy-providing algae due to stress, sapping their splendid color. From 2023
to 2025, corals experienced three significant bleaching events due to warming
coastal temperatures, causing corals to starve.
“It’s a global problem that we can’t solve,” says sanctuary superintendent
Michelle Johnston, “but we’re looking at how to manage it.”"
Via Esther Schindler.
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
