NOAA/NOS National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) /Center for Coastal Ocean Science (CCMA) benthic habitat and fish community assessment, Flower Garden Banks, Texas, 2009-2011 (NODC Accession 0104344)

The Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (FGBNMS) represents the northernmost tropical western Atlantic coral reef on the continental shelf and supports the most highly developed offshore hard bank community in the region. This work was conducted to develop baseline information on fish and benthic communities within the FGBNMS. Surveys employed diving, technical diving, ROV, and hydroacoustics technologies for a comprehensive assessment of the fish and benthic habitat communities of the East and West Bank.
This work was conducted in collaboration with the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, Center for Coastal Fisheries and Habitat Research (CCFHR), NOAA's Center for Coastal Environment and Health and Biomolecular Research (CCEHBR), and NOAA's Cooperative Institute for Ocean Exploration, Research and Technology (CIORET).
Data are in .csv and ascii format with associated Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) metadata.