Sanctuary is Ice Land Inspiration

An ice sculpture of R/V MANTA greets visiotrs to Ice Land: A Caribbean Christmas at Moody Gardens. Image: FGBNMS/Drinnen

For the third year in a row, Galveston Island's Moody Gardens will be showcasing an ice sculpture adventure for the winter holiday season. But, this year is a little different. This year, one of the inspirations for Ice Land: A Caribbean Christmas is Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary!

A skilled team of master ice carvers from China has created an amazing ocean journey using two million pounds of ice. That journey starts with an ice replica of R/V MANTA, the sanctuary's reseach vessel.

Where: Moody Gardens, Galveston, TX
When: November 12, 2016-January 8, 2017

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Major Coral Bleaching Event

Almost 50% of the reef is bleaching or paling at East Flower Garden Bank. Image: FGBNMS/Hickerson

On the heels of the mass mortality event in July 2016, the corals of Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary are now faced with a separate major bleaching event. Sanctuary researchers report that almost 50% of the coral colonies in a study site at East Flower Garden Bank were bleached or paling (in the process of bleaching) as of October 5, 2016.

Sea surface temperatures have been over 30°C (86°F) for 85 days of the past four months, putting the sanctuary in the midst of one of the worst coral bleaching events on record. While the past week has seen temperatures drop slightly to 29°C (84°F), if these warm water conditions continue, the corals may starve and die.

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