WEBVTT Kind: captions Language: en-US 00:00:00.240 --> 00:00:06.160 Eureka. Oh yeah, there was a sense of accomplishment when the Flower Gardens 00:00:06.160 --> 00:00:11.120 was finally designated as a national marine sanctuary. Yeah. 00:00:11.760 --> 00:00:17.360 Eureka. It's done. Well, it wasn't ever done. It's not done yet. 00:00:26.080 --> 00:00:31.520 My hope is that these reefs, the Flower Garden Banks as we have today, 00:00:32.080 --> 00:00:39.840 East, West, and Stetson, as well as the expanded areas, will maintain their health 00:00:39.840 --> 00:00:41.440 for generations to come. 00:00:42.880 --> 00:00:50.000 I think in any situation where you have one  of the only ones you should take care of it. 00:00:50.000 --> 00:00:54.480 So maybe it's the fact that it's  so remote, but it's so beautiful,   00:00:54.480 --> 00:00:56.560 and the community that it has out there, 00:00:56.560 --> 00:00:59.840 so perhaps that's part of the value at least for me is I want to protect it 00:00:59.840 --> 00:01:02.960 just like I would want to protect my own backyard back home. 00:01:03.680 --> 00:01:06.960 NOAA's Flower Garden Banks  National Marine Sanctuary   00:01:06.960 --> 00:01:09.040 protects some of the healthiest coral reefs in 00:01:09.040 --> 00:01:14.880 the world. The sanctuary is expanding its boundaries to protect 14 additional 00:01:14.880 --> 00:01:17.600 reefs and banks off the coasts of Texas and Louisiana. 00:01:20.560 --> 00:01:24.400 This expansion builds on more than  30 years of research and reports   00:01:24.400 --> 00:01:25.840 calling for protection of these 00:01:25.840 --> 00:01:27.360 nationally significant areas. 00:01:28.400 --> 00:01:31.840 The expansion adds 104 square miles of critically   00:01:31.840 --> 00:01:35.840 important habitats to the only national  marine sanctuary in the Gulf of Mexico. 00:01:36.400 --> 00:01:40.480 These include deep coral communities,  unique geological features,   00:01:40.480 --> 00:01:42.720 expansive zones of algal nodules, 00:01:42.720 --> 00:01:47.440 and countless species, including some of the icons of recreational and commercial fishing. 00:01:48.480 --> 00:01:53.120 Together, these essential habitats serve as reservoirs of abundance and diversity, 00:01:53.120 --> 00:01:56.320 and engines of sustainability for  the communities that rely on the  00:01:56.320 --> 00:01:58.320 Gulf of Mexico for their economic livelihoods. 00:02:00.080 --> 00:02:04.400 In the 1970's and 80's scientists  and community members called for   00:02:04.400 --> 00:02:08.080 protection of East and West Flower  Garden Banks and Stetson Bank, 00:02:08.080 --> 00:02:10.960 resulting in the designation  of Flower Garden Banks  00:02:10.960 --> 00:02:12.560 National Marine Sanctuary. 00:02:13.280 --> 00:02:19.520 Today, we've answered the call. The expansion  of Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary   00:02:19.520 --> 00:02:22.480 advances NOAA's mission to  conserve and manage coastal   00:02:22.480 --> 00:02:27.680 and marine ecosystems that help sustain  local communities and America's economy. 00:02:27.680 --> 00:02:33.840 The coral cover at the Flower Gardens is greater now than it was when we were 00:02:33.840 --> 00:02:40.320 studying them back in the 70's and 80's. So these reefs are special because they 00:02:40.320 --> 00:02:46.880 remain healthy. That's a good sign. That means these reefs are hanging in there, 00:02:46.880 --> 00:02:52.160 and we need the reefs that will hang in there because a lot of reefs worldwide are not. 00:02:53.120 --> 00:03:00.800 The habitats that are supported largely by both corals and algal reef builders 00:03:00.800 --> 00:03:05.440 are indeed resources that we need to protect for the benefit of all the 00:03:05.440 --> 00:03:12.000 stakeholders. These terraces covered by algal nodules, which cover many of the 00:03:12.000 --> 00:03:19.280 banks to be included in the expansion, are possibly of higher diversity in 00:03:19.280 --> 00:03:22.960 terms of the numbers of species than the coral reef itself. 00:03:26.880 --> 00:03:30.240 The proposed sanctuary  expansion is the culmination   00:03:30.240 --> 00:03:34.160 of years of work by a variety of people, and 00:03:34.160 --> 00:03:38.560 is supported strongly by the public and by a number of our partners that 00:03:38.560 --> 00:03:42.720 we've worked with over the years. Expansion of the sanctuary will add to 00:03:42.720 --> 00:03:48.480 the ability to protect important areas, to provide for the resilience of communities, 00:03:48.480 --> 00:03:52.800 and to sustain important economies in the Gulf of Mexico that are 00:03:52.800 --> 00:03:55.760 dependent on the health of these natural resources. 00:03:57.600 --> 00:04:01.120 I've been told it's one of the most  pristine environments in the world.   00:04:01.840 --> 00:04:03.200 When these scientists tell me that 00:04:03.200 --> 00:04:08.560 I believe them. - The reason why it's so critical that we get this expansion and 00:04:08.560 --> 00:04:13.040 we increase these banks is because the science has shown that these banks are 00:04:13.040 --> 00:04:20.560 unique and they're a critical part of the ecosystem. - There is evidence that 00:04:20.560 --> 00:04:26.560 shows that protecting these additional areas deserve merit. 00:04:26.560 --> 00:04:30.640 These resources belong to all Americans. Not just the people that live on the Texas coast 00:04:30.640 --> 00:04:34.320 or the Florida coast. The sanctuaries belong to all Americans, 00:04:34.320 --> 00:04:37.600 and they need to go see these  places. They're quite amazing. 00:04:39.120 --> 00:04:45.360 I believe in the mission and believe in protecting the resources for generation to come and 00:04:45.360 --> 00:04:50.320 what I'm hoping is this boundary expansion is going to cause millions of 00:04:50.320 --> 00:04:57.440 other people, both children and adults, to learn about these wonders and treasures 00:04:58.000 --> 00:05:04.240 of the offshore Gulf of Mexico that have been there, but are just big secrets. 00:05:04.800 --> 00:05:08.160 And they're our secrets, but they're not going to be anymore because we're gonna 00:05:08.160 --> 00:05:12.160 bring it to the public. The more we found out about these areas the more we 00:05:12.160 --> 00:05:15.600 realize that these were not just important marine habitats, but some of 00:05:15.600 --> 00:05:20.240 these areas are as diverse and as productive as any marine communities in 00:05:20.240 --> 00:05:26.000 the world. This is your Gulf of Mexico. We look forward to continuing to work with   00:05:26.000 --> 00:05:33.964 our community partners to ensure a productive  and resilient Gulf of Mexico for years to come.