My next two newsletters are all about Thursday night’s documentary, and trust me, it’s something you won’t want to miss.
Back in July 2024, my photographer Wlad Moquete and I had the chance to tag along with an incredible team from Moody Gardens and NOAA (that’s the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) as they explored one of the healthiest coral reefs on the planet. These divers go 60 to 100 feet underwater to study a world most of us will never see in person. It’s all happening about 100 miles south of Galveston, at a place called the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary.
Now, you might be thinking, “Coral reefs? In the Gulf?” Yes, there’s a thriving, colorful coral world just off our Texas coast, and most people have no idea it’s even there.
The name “Flower Gardens” goes all the way back to the early 1900s. Fishermen would peer into the water and see what looked like giant underwater flower beds, reminding them of gardens back home. The name stuck, and in 1992, the area was officially protected as a marine sanctuary.
Coral reefs are fragile. They can be wiped out quickly by warming waters, disease, or pollution. But this one is thriving. On Thursday, you’ll find out what makes Gulf coral so healthy and how Moody Gardens is using that knowledge to help struggling reefs around the world.
Why I love diving:
I actually got into scuba diving by accident. My wife and I were at a destination wedding, and one of the planned outings was a boat trip. Well, one of the crew members asked if anyone wanted to try scuba diving. We figured, why not?
Now, we later found out that’s not how you’re supposed to start scuba diving. It’s something you really need to be certified to do and there’s a reason for that. Diving can be dangerous, if you don’t know what you’re doing.
But what we saw that day? It was unforgettable. There’s a whole different world under the surface, one that feels like it belongs to another planet. Peaceful, alien, beautiful… and incredibly fragile.
That’s why the work these scientists are doing at the Flower Garden Banks sanctuary is so important. They’re studying and protecting this underwater wonderland, 160 square miles of coral reef and marine life. It’s not just research; it’s conservation. And it matters more than most of us realize.
Getting in the water:
My introduction to the marine sanctuary was at a spot called the West Flower Garden Banks. While the NOAA team got to work doing what they do best, my first dive with the Moody Gardens crew was something a little more basic: an acclimation dive. Honestly, it probably should’ve been called the “let’s make sure Anthony doesn’t panic” dive.
Here’s the thing, every single diver on this trip was a master diver. We’re talking hundreds of dives logged, total pros. When they move underwater, they look like they’re floating in zero gravity, calm, effortless, totally in control. Meanwhile, I was just trying to show I could hang, but it was like a high school basketball player playing with the Houston Rockets. I wasn’t in their league, not even close. But I could follow directions, stay out of the way, and not be a liability, and in their eyes, that was good enough.
Long term monitoring, repetitive photo stations:
As a meteorologist, I’ve learned understanding the past is key to making sense of the future. When it comes to weather, having reliable temperature records helps us spot patterns, track changes, and make better forecasts. The same idea applies to the ocean.
Think about it, how could we say with any confidence that global temperatures are rising if we didn’t have solid data from the past to compare? That’s what makes the Flower Garden Banks so special. It’s actually the only place in the world with continuous ocean temperature records going back more than 30 years.
Since 1990, monitoring stations have been collecting temperature data from deep beneath the surface, 82 feet down, to be exact. On our trip, I watched as some of those instruments were swapped out for new ones. The data they’ve gathered over the years tells a clear story: the Gulf of Mexico has warmed by 1 degree Celsius, or nearly 2 degrees Fahrenheit.
But it’s not just about numbers. There are also special pins placed around the reef, where divers have taken photos from the exact same angle twice a year for the past three decades. These side-by-side images tell us whether the reef is growing and thriving, or if it’s declining.
The good news? The Flower Garden Banks is holding strong. Those long-term photos show that this reef is not only surviving; it’s one of the healthiest coral reefs in the world. The photo below shows how NOAA divers switch out monitoring stations.
Lionfish - an invasive species:
Lionfish weren’t always part of life in the Gulf. They were first spotted off the coast of South Florida back in the mid-1980s, and most experts believe they got there because people were dumping their home aquariums into the ocean. Someone’s exotic pet became the Gulf’s problem.
Originally from the Indo-Pacific, lionfish are beautiful but bad news for native fish. They’ve spread throughout the Gulf and are starting to cause problems. The biggest issue? They eat everything. And the native fish here don’t recognize them as predators, so they don’t defend themselves or try to eat them in return.
On Thursday, you’ll see what’s being done to help control the lionfish population and protect the reef. It’s a tough challenge, but scientists and divers are getting creative in their efforts to reduce the impact of this invasive species. This is Rachel Bowman, probably one of the best lionfish hunters in the country.
Tune in to KPRC 2 Thursday night April 24 at 7:00 p.m. for “GARDEN IN THE GULF: A REEF RESCUE MISSION”.
On your phone, computer, or tablet, you can also watch on www.click2houston.com/watchlive or through the KPRC 2+ mobile app.
Download the free KPRC 2+ mobile app to watch anytime (click2houston.com)
See you Thursday night!
