It encompasses 42 square nautical miles and is home to nearly 300 species of fish, rich both in color and shape. Twenty species of coral adds majesty to the underwater landscape that sprawls like an aquatic playground 100 miles off the Galveston, Texas coast.
The Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary is a living testament to the energy industry’s environmental stewardship.
Devon is among more than a dozen companies that produce oil and natural gas from platforms near or within the Flower Garden Banks. The sanctuary’s clear water and the pristine condition of its coral reflect the investment Devon and its industry partners make each year to help ensure lasting preservation.
Success has come through communication and cooperation between industry and government agencies such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency.
Each year, Devon and other industry partners join government representatives for an expedition to the sanctuary. The three-day event offers an opportunity to showcase preservation initiatives and discuss environmental issues important to industry and federal agencies.
In addition to its participation in the annual expeditions, Devon is part of the Flower Garden Banks Joint Industry Project. Under the planning and monitoring program, partners use electronic buoys to ensure rapid detection if pollutants enter sanctuary waters.
The banks, established as a national marine sanctuary in 1992, have become a model in the Gulf of Mexico for how the energy industry and the environment can not only coexist, but thrive.