the banks originated when salt domes forced overlaying sediments upward to form seamounts. Before the early 1960s it was debated whether coral reefs could develop off the Texas coast; some researchers predicted the area would be too cold, or too turbid to support any extensive reef development. A series of scientific scuba diving expeditions, however, revealed that EFGB and WFGB did indeed support extensive coral reef systems. The late 1960s saw the establishment of the Flower Gardens Ocean Research Center (FGORC), a scientific facility whose research inspired federal agencies to begin discussing protecting the banks from human activities, including oil and gas extraction, fishing, and anchoring on the reefs. With passage of the Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act of 1972, the Flower Garden Banks became a candidate for designation as a United States National Marine Sanctuary. The Houston Underwater Club led a movement to have the banks officially designated as sanctuaries by submitting a formal letter of nomination in 1979. President George H. W. Bush authorized Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary as the 10th National Marine Sanctuary on January 17, 1992. The sanctuary was enlarged to include Stetson Bank in 1996. Expansion On January 19, 2021, NOAA issued the Final Instruction for expansion of Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary. This action protects 14 additional reefs and banks, slightly adjusts the boundaries of the sanctuary's original three banks and expands the sanctuary from 145 square kilometers to a total of 415 square kilometers. The operative date of this action is March 22, 2021. The final rule applies existing sanctuary regulations to all the new areas, supplying protection from the destructive impact of activities relevant to fishing with bottom-tending gear, ship anchoring, oil and gas exploration and production, and salvage activities on sensitive biological resources. These areas include critical habitat for recreationally and commercially important fish, as well as threatened or endangered species of manta rays, sea turtles, and corals in the Gulf of Mexico. Biology Diving and sightseeing are popular activities in and near this sanctuary. The three banks — East Flower Garden Bank, West Flower Garden Bank, and Stetson Bank — are underwater mountains. The banks support coral reefs, some of the healthiest in the Caribbean and Western Atlantic region. These reef communities began developing on the salt domes approximately 10,000–15,000 years ago. Today, they support a complex, balanced ecosystem of shallow and deep-water species. Flower Garden