Flower Gardens Banks National Marine Sanctuary

The Flower Gardens Banks National Marine Sanctuary is a region of water approximately 100 miles south of the Texas-Lousiana border. It was designated a National Marine Sanctuary in 1992, which places administration and regulation of the area under the control of the National Marine Sanctuary Department (NMS) of the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The site is made up of a pair of underwater gardens, which emerge from the floor of the Gulf of Mexico. The Flower Garden Banks are caused by salt domes beneath the sea floor. The Flower Gardens is one of the most popular dive destination for divers in Texas, and the Southwest USA, and in fact attracts divers from around the country.