Public Programs | Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary

A table top display about the sanctuary with pieces of coral on display — The sanctuary hosts booth displays at a variety of community events. (Image: FGBNMS/Drinnen)

Many people learn about the sanctuary through our community outreach efforts. Sanctuary staff and volunteers frequently exhibit or present educational information at conferences, community events, dive clubs, meetings, school functions, and more.

FGBNMS Events

Seaside Chats

Target Audience: Middle School to Adult

Seaside Chats are FREE informal presentations about ocean topics associated with Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary and the Gulf of Mexico. These presentations take place on Wednesday evenings in February. Professional development hours are available for teachers and Master Naturalists.

Get Into Your Sanctuary

Target Audience: All Ages

Get Into Your Sanctuary is an annual campaign to raise awareness about the value of our national marine sanctuaries as iconic destinations for responsible recreation. It includes an annual photo contest associated with visiting national marine sanctuaries and other marine protected areas.

Other Programs

People sitting in front of a screen showing a presentation about the sanctuary

Presentations

We are happy to provide presentations of 30-60 minutes at club or association meetings, or for any group of interested individuals. Just send an email to flowergarden@noaa.gov with the specific date and time you have in mind. We will do what we can to accommodate your request. Please make your request at least 60 days in advance.

Camp participants looking at reef monitoring images as part of an activity

Learning Experiences

We can provide a limited number of educational programs with activities for students of any age in the Galveston area. In the past this has included school groups, summer camps, libraries, senior groups and conferences. Just send an email to flowergarden@noaa.gov with the specific date and time you have in mind. We will do what we can to accommodate your request. Please make your request at least 60 days in advance.

Four teachers modeling coral polyps with their hands as part of an activity

Professional Development

We are a registered professional development provider in the State of Texas. Although we do not currently offer any scheduled workshops, we would be happy to provide customized programming for school districts at your location or ours. Just send an email to flowergarden@noaa.gov and let us know what you have in mind. Please make your request at least 60 days in advance.