The Restoration of the
Flower Garden Bank Reef
in the Gulf of Mexico
Restoration Ecology
Submitted to: NOAA
Luke Lechner
5/1/2012
Background
The effect of oil spills on marine life is devastating; millions of animals, plants,
and other sea life are destroyed each time an oil spill occurs in the ocean. In response
to the 2010 oil spill that took place in the Gulf of Mexico, much work is needed to be
done to the Flower Garden Banks coral reefs located off the coasts of Texas and
Louisiana. Occurring in April 2010, the oil spill devastated the Gulf of Mexico, leaving
the waters tainted, killing large amounts of birds, marine animals, and coral reefs. Over
4.9 million barrels of oil spilled into the coast spreading across 7,722 sq. miles of ocean.
The Flower Garden Banks are a protected set of coral reefs that were affected by the oil
spill and are now in need of help (NOAA, 2012). Since these reefs were affected by the
oil spill, a call to action is required in order to find out if these reefs can be saved or if
they need to be redeveloped.
The Flower Garden Bank reefs were designated as a sanctuary in 1992 by the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). They are located
approximately 120 miles from the coast of Texas. Created by the uplift of salt domes,
these reefs rise from the depth of 330 feet to within 56 feet of the water’s surface. They
play host to over 250 species of fish, 23 species of coral, and about 80 different species
of algae and sponge communities (Richard, 2012). These reefs are the northernmost
coral reefs in the United States and are located in the middle of one of the largest oil
and gas fields in the world.
The question now stands: how much time, money, and effort must be put forth in
order to bring these coral reefs to a state where they can begin to function again? Once
considered to be pristine and thriving, these reefs are now destroyed because of the
large amounts of oil that leaked throughout the Gulf of Mexico, leaving the area deemed
“the Dead Zone”( Peterson, 2011). This area needs to be thoroughly assessed before
any type of restoration can begin; once that is done, the correct measures will be taken.
In this case, since this restoration project is an experiment, multiple systems will be
used, including: artificial reefs, reef balls, mooring buoy system, and oyster reefs. Using
different systems will help researchers determine the best way to go about things in the
future if this case were to happen again.
Rationale
These coral reefs exist because of a natural cause, but continue to thrive
because of the NOAA. Coral reefs play an important part of the ecosystem and help out
the local communities. Stated previously, the coral reefs in question (Flower Garden
Banks) plays host to hundreds of different species, and their restoration is necessary to
maintain this current ecosystem. The diverse population of fish is what allows for
commercial fishing to take place in and around an area such as this. The biodiversity
created by the reefs is what makes them important; without the vast amount of species
using the reef, it would be unable to function correctly. The more species an area of
coral reef has, the healthier it will be in and around that reef.
Coral reefs are cherished for not only their functional values, but also for their
aesthetic values. Since these reefs are only 56 feet below the water’s surface, they can
be seen by swimmers and divers. The colors and varieties of coral found in the reefs
are what attract tourism to the coral reefs. With the reefs in the condition they are,
people are unwilling to want to see them; but once cleaned up and restored; these reefs
will begin to attract people again, bringing more money into the communities
surrounding the reefs.
By restoring these reefs to be visually appealing again, they will not only bring
money back to the community, but also create work for people. Restoration will allow
the waters in the coast to be clean again and free of any toxins that may affect more
marine life in the area. These reefs play an important role in the community, without
fixing the damage caused by the oil spill; these reefs will be unable to recover from the
devastating accident.
Project Summary
Project Goals
The goal of this current project is to reestablish a stable and working ecosystem
in the areas that surround and include the Flower Garden Banks coral reefs. To
accomplish this goal:
 Assess the damage in the area and determine the causes of all the damage
 Restore the coral reefs and reestablish the ecosystem and biodiversity
 Monitor the progress of the reefs, accommodating for possible change
Site and detailed project description
The site being restored is located approximately 120 miles off the coast of Texas
and Louisiana. It is a marine sanctuary that includes both natural and false coral reefs
(EPA, 2011). The reefs are located on the outer edge of the continental shelf in the
northwestern Gulf of Mexico.
The maps included both show the location of the reefs in relation to the shorelines of the
nearby states.
http://coris.noaa.gov/portals/flowergarden.html
http://www.connect-green.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/coral-reefs-in-the-gulf-of-mexico.jpg
Professional divers and reef specialists will be brought in to assess the reefs and
determine what can be done to reverse the damage caused by the oil spill. Testing will
occur with the use of reef balls, oyster reefs, mooring buoys, and artificial reefs. The
plan is to determine the effectiveness of each system at removing oil and reestablishing
the ecosystem in the area.
Artificial reefs and reef balls work together; they are both man-made modules that act
like nurseries to coral. Existing coral attaches to them and over time begins to grow and
expand, becoming the new infrastructure for the coral reef. The benefit of this system is
that it is a continuous process; although the reefs aren’t restored overnight, the artificial
reefs continue to allow organisms and other plants to develop over a longer period of
time.
Mooring buoys would be used to help eliminate any type of disturbance in the area that
may stir up any leftover oil or cause the already weakened reefs to deteriorate beyond
their current state. They are a preventative maintenance system that allows the reefs to
naturally restore rather than have something put there to restore them (PADI, 2007).
Oyster reefs would be used for small coral reefs that may appear closer to shore. They
are packs of oysters that are used to filter the water and improve the water quality over
time. After the water quality improves, the oysters can be harvested and used for food
one the water is clean (Hill, 2009). The oysters would allow for different organisms to
establish in the area and possibly increase restoration of the natural reefs.
Once the project begins, oil needs to be removed from the coral to keep it from
contaminating the new systems in place. This is done with the introduction of oil eating
microbes. They break down the oil without depleting the oxygen levels in the water. This
would keep the surrounding area as healthy as it can be while the oil is being removed.
Once the oil is removed and the systems are implemented; only time can show
improvement. The process of restoring the coral reefs isn’t something that will happen
overnight. Observations need to be recorded over time to determine change and see if
one or more of the systems needs to be improved on, added to, or removed. Monitoring
will take place on the first day of every month to determine the progress of the systems.
The results from the prior month will be compared to the results from the current month
to determine the level of restoration taking place. The results being recorded are growth
of coral, size of the reefs, and the number of species in a given area.
Expected results and project evaluation criteria
The results that are expected are that the ecosystem returns to the area that was
damaged by oil. Also, new growth of coral is expected on existing coral or the artificial
coral reefs that were implemented. The aim of this project is to remove around 85% of
the oil using microbes and have the rest of the oil slowly be removed over time by the
use of oyster reefs and naturally occurring organisms.
To consider this experimental restoration project a success the return rate of fish and
plant species should be at least 75%. This includes new species from the oyster reefs.
Also included with the success of the reefs, will be the establishment of rules put on the
reefs for at least 2 years in order for them to be fully functioning before any type of
human activities take place around them, including scuba diving and fishing.
Since different types of coral grow at different rates, it is expected that the minimum
growth rate of all the coral per year be at least .5 cm. This number includes all coral
because some coral in the colony may grow up to 4.5 cm per year. As long as growth
increases steadily over time, the project will be considered a success (Ball Foundation,
2012).
Materials and Budget
Since this project is experimental, all systems will be purchased, including:
 Reef Balls in various sizes (artificial reefs)
 Mooring buoys
 Oyster packs
 Boating Materials
 Boat rentals
 Gasoline
 Scuba Gear
 Random Extras (Food, Housing, Safety Gear)
 Personnel
 2 Professional Divers
 2 Biologists
 2 Water Chemists
 2 Reef Specialists
 1 Reef Ball Employee
 100 Volunteers
 Transportation
Includes 2 SUVs to carry equipment
Materials
Reef Balls
Super
Pallet
Bay
Goliath
Oyster Packs
Mooring Buoy
Boating Materials
Professional Divers
Reef Specialist
Reef Ball Employee
Biologist
Water Chemist
Transportation
Total
Quantity
Price
3
4
6
3
10
20
ALL
2
2
1
2
2
ALL
3 x 6,003 = 18,099
4 x 3,467 = 13,868
6 x 1,823 = 10,938
3 x 6,893 = 20,679
10 x 276 = 2,760
20 x 110 = 2,200
10,000
2 x 10,000 = 20,000
2 x 15,000 = 30,000
5,000
2 x 10,000 = 20,000
2 x 8,000 = 16,000
10,000
179,544
Grants from the Reed Ball Foundation cause the Reef Balls and Oyster packs
bring the total price from $111,397 down to only $66,344. This grant is achieved by
publishing their name in any works involved with the project and also simply just
applying for the grant and being accepted based on condition of reefs needed to be
restored.
The total requested budget for this product is $100,000 through the NOAA. The budget
requested will be matched through donations and grants from other organizations,
including the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) and The National Fish and
Wildlife Foundation (NFWF Grants, 2010). The final budget would be $200,000. Money
left over will be used for future monitoring and maintenance. Total price includes
payment for all years of restoration.
Timeline
2012
2013
2014
2015
Pre-Monitoring
(6 months)
Assessment Period
(2-4 months)
Reef Ball Installation
(3-4 years)
Mooring buoys
(6 weeks)
Oyster Reefs
(1 month)
Post-Monitoring
(5 years)
Total Time
7 Years
Work being done
2017
2019
References
Ball Foundation. (2012). Reef Ball Foundation: Getting Grants For Your Project. Reef Ball
Foundation: Getting Grants For Your Project. Retrieved March 20, 2012, from
http://www.reefball.org
EPA. (2011). Coral Reef Initiatives | Habitat Protection | US EPA. Home | Water | US EPA.
Retrieved March 20, 2012, from
http://water.epa.gov/type/oceb/habitat/initiative.cfm
Hill, K. (2009). Oyster_reef.Smithsonian Marine Station (SMS) at Fort Pierce. Retrieved
March 20, 2012, from http://www.sms.si.edu/irlspec/Oyster_reef.htm
NFWF Grants. (2010). National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. Retrieved March 20, 2012,
from http://www.nfwf.org
NOAA. (2011). NOAA CoRIS - Regional Portal - Flower Garden Banks. NOAA Coral Reef
Information System (CoRIS) Home Page. Retrieved March 20, 2012, from
NOAA. (2008). NOAA's Coral Reef Conservation Program. NOAA's Coral Reef Conservation
Program. Retrieved March 20, 2012, from http://coralreef.noaa.gov/
NOAA. (2009). NOAA's Coral Reef Information System (CoRIS) - What are Coral
Reefs. NOAA Coral Reef Information System (CoRIS) Home Page. Retrieved March
20, 2012, from http://coris.noaa.gov/about/what_are/
PADI. (2007). Mooring Buoy Planning Guide. NOAA. Retrieved March 20, 2012, from
coralreef.noaa.gov/education/educators/resourcecd/guides/resources/mooring_buo
y_g.pdf
Peterson, B. (2011). Gulf Oil Spill Meets Dead Zone. Huffington Post. Retrieved March 20,
2012, from www.huffingtonpost.com/brenda-peterson/gulf-oil-spill-meetsdead_b_671088.html
Richard, M. (2012). BP Gulf Oil Spill Cheat Sheet: A Timeline of Unfortunate Events :
TreeHugger.TreeHugger. Retrieved March 20, 2012, from
http://www.treehugger.com/corporate-responsibility/bp-gulf-oil-spill-cheat-sheeta-timeline-of-unfortunate-events.html
Winerman, L. (2012). Gulf Oil Plume Map Adds to Debate Over Spill's Undersea Impact|
The Rundown News Blog | PBS NewsHour | PBS. PBS: Public Broadcasting Service.
Retrieved March 20, 2012, from
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/2010/08/scientists-map-deepwaterhorizon-oil-plume.html#more