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Houston Matters

Not Just Oil Rigs: Gulf of Mexico is Home to Pristine Coral Reefs

About 100 miles off the coast of Galveston, in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico, lies the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, a group of coral reefs that boasts manta rays, huge coral heads and hundreds of species of fish. The banks are managed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and every […]

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About 100 miles off the coast of Galveston, in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico, lies the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, a group of coral reefs that boasts manta rays, huge coral heads and hundreds of species of fish.

The banks are managed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and every few weeks NOAA’s marine research vessel, the RV Manta, travels out to check on the reefs.

Houston Matters producer Edel Howlin talks with the research team about how this oasis of nature came to be in an area punctuated with refineries.

Next month, Houston Public Media TV 8 will air a documentary about the Flower Garden Banks, called Window in the Waves. It premieres Oct. 22, 2014 at 7 p.m. Here’s a preview:

Michael Hagerty

Michael Hagerty

Senior Producer, Houston Matters

Michael Hagerty is the senior producer for Houston Matters. He's spent more than 20 years in public radio and television and dabbled in minor league baseball, spending four seasons as the public address announcer for the Reno Aces, the Triple-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

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