MacNeil Bank
![Bathymetric map of MacNeil Bank showing the sanctuary boundary, as well as other relevant management zones and infrastructure.](/img/maps/macneillayersmap1000.jpg)
Depth Range: 210-315 feet (64-96 meters)
Distance from Land: 116 miles (187 km)
Area: 2.7 square miles (7 sq km)
MacNeil Bank, located northeast of East Flower Garden Bank, is bisected by a 754 foot (230 m) long trough. It is structurally connected to East Flower Garden, Rankin and 28 Fathom Banks around the semicircular rim of a depression in the sea floor that is about 2.5 miles (14 km) across.
![Map of sea floor from East Flower Garden Bank east to Bright Bank showing the connecting ridges between formations](/img/maps/efgbconnectivitymap1000.jpg)
Mesophotic habitat at MacNeil Bank includes black corals, octocorals, sponges and fish. It is also designated as a Habitat Area of Particular Concern (HAPC).
MacNeil Bank was named after F. Stearns MacNeil, a U.S. Geological Survey geologist.
![Looking down on a Webbed Burrfish swimming just above the sea floor. It's colors blend with the bottom color.](/img/deephabitat/macneilburrfish1000.jpg)
![Bright red Creolefish swim past a large rocky formation in a deep reef area](/img/deephabitat/macneilcreolefish1000.jpg)
![Two large brownish red sponges attached to the substrate with a small bright orange sponge in the right foreground. A white whip-like coral is visible behind the brownish sponge. A small bushy black coral sits to the right of the orange sponge.](/img/deephabitat/macneilsponges1000.jpg)
Who Was F. Stearns MacNeil?
F. Stearns MacNeil (1909-1983) was a geologist with the U.S. Geological Survey. He was well-known for his hypothesis that sea level variations were major factors in reef formation. MacNeil also did extensive geologic mapping of the northeastern Gulf of Mexico.