#AprilShowers bring #MayFlowers !
Sometimes referred to as ‘flowers of the sea’, #SeaAnemones protect themselves with stinging cells along their tentacles. Even though they're mostly harmless to humans, we suggest giving an anemone plant to that special someone on #MothersDay .

'This will only hurt a bit' - every nurse shark to every urchin.
While nurse sharks don't have any official medical training, they are experts in extracting hidden prey. Next time you need medical attention, reach out to a human nurse and not a nurse shark.
#NationalNursesWeek

#WhatsThatWednesday

An #alien coming up from the depths of the ocean? Not quite.

This is a #BaskeStar , a type of brittle star with many branching arms, rolled up into a tight ball as it waits for nightfall.

Learn more about basket stars here: youtu.be/tsD17FU_Tqc?fe…

For #TeacherAppreciationDay , we want to let all teachers know that they are o-FISH-ally the best! Your students wouldn't be able to accomplish anything without your guidance.

Be like this rusty goby and hang in there. The weekend will be back soon enough!

📷 G.P. Schmahl/FGBNMS

#HangingOut #RustyGoby #HangInThere

A group of #Fish is called a school or a shoal.
A group of #Jellyfish is called a smack.
What would you call a group of #SeaUrchins ?

We're on pins and needles awaiting your responses!

Talk about a #ShellCollection !
This #Octopus has been eating well, as evidenced by all of the empty shells surrounding its hideout between corals on the reef.

#WhatsThatWednesday
Which came first, the star coral in the middle or the brain coral around it?
Just another example of how corals take advantage of whatever space they can find to settle on and grow.
#HoleInTheMiddle #Coral

T is for #TouchMeNot , a kind of #Sponge that packs a stinging punch.

What about the rest of the alphabet? Check out Learn Your ABC’s With Sanctuary Wildlife: sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/apr24/a-t…

As #NationalGardenMonth comes to a close, we'd like to recognize the beautiful #CoralGardens of National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa, the only national marine sanctuary in the southern hemisphere. americansamoa.noaa.gov/gallery/

Rhodoliths, also known as algal nodules, provide important habitat in the sanctuary. We've always thought they were cool, but we had no idea they were this old!
flowergarden.noaa.gov/about/mesophot…

#WhatsThatWedenesday

Help scientists restore and better understand Gulf of Mexico Habitats with Click-a-Coral!
People, just like you, can volunteer to help NOAA scientists and partners build a training dataset to help AI automatically recognize coral.

coastalscience.noaa.gov/news/help-scie…

Flower Garden Banks bookmarks are a great addition to any book you are reading.

Pick one up the next time you see us at a community event. Your book will thank you!

#WorldBookDay

As we celebrate #EarthDay and strive to be green, remember that most of #EarthisBlue . Please take care of our water planet!

Want to say thank you back to the Earth? Here are some helpful tips: oceanservice.noaa.gov/ocean/help-our…

#MeetOurStaff

Hi, I am LTJG Desda Sisson. I am a #NOAACorps Officer that joined NOAA's Flower Garden Banks Natl Marine Sanctuary as the Vessel Operations Coordinator in December 2023. My job is to oversee all operations pertaining to R/V MANTA, the sanctuary's research vessel.

@NOAAOMAO

#NOAAFleetWeek #SailNOAA

This #parrotfish is taking chances by high-fiving this urchin. Maybe they are friends and have an understanding?

Give your friends a high five today (and maybe they will be less pokey than an #urchin ).

#HighFiveDay #NationalHighFiveDay

14,000 year old #rhodoliths found at Flower Garden Banks. Samples collected at East Flower Garden Bank and Elvers Bank from mesophotic depths were analyzed. It was determined that the oldest rhodoliths collected date back to the end of the #Pleistocene epoch.
#WhatsThatWednesday

NOAA has announced we are in the fourth global coral bleaching event. Bleaching-level heat stress, as remotely monitored and predicted by NOAA’s Coral Reef Watch, has been—and continues to be—extensive across the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian

noaa.gov/news-release/n…

Despite its remote location, the sanctuary has inspired artists working in a variety of media. Their art brings a bit of the sanctuary closer to home, making it accessible to more people and inspiring a sense of place.
flowergarden.noaa.gov/visiting/sanct…
#WorldArtDay #SanctuaryInspiredArt

#ApplyNow ! The deadline to apply for 7 seats on the FGBNMS #AdvisoryCouncil is near.
Open Seats: Conserv (1), Comm Fishing (2), Dive Ops (2), Energy (1), Rec Diving (1)
All applications must be received or postmarked by Monday, April 15th. flowergarden.noaa.gov/advisorycounci…
#ScrabbleDay