Along the continental shelf of the Gulf of Mexico, approximately 200 shelf-edge reefs and banks form a biodiversity hotspot of stunning coral and their inhabitants. These deep reefs support an abundance of soft corals, subtropical and tropical invertebrates and more than 90 species of fish, including many large predators. The Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary provides protection to many of these species and habitats, but finding a balance between natural preservation and human uses (like commercial fishing and deepwater oil and gas mining) in the Gulf of Mexico has proven difficult to achieve. However in June 2018, the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council passed a measure that would protect some of the Gulf's coral hot spots and restrict the use of damaging fishing gear.
