Stetson Bank is among the smallest of the mid-shelf banks in the northern Gulf of Mexico. The sanctuary is influenced by currents flowing around the Yucatan peninsula and northward along the coasts of Mexico and Texas. The area is also affected by eddies originating from the loop current in the eastern Gulf of Mexico. Although two-thirds of the United States drains into the Gulf of Mexico, negative impacts from major river systems such as the Mississippi and the Rio Grande have so far not been observed, probably because of the sanctuary's distance from the shore. The species best known to the sanctuary are the loggerhead sea turtles , the leatherback sea turtles , and the hawksbill sea turtles .
All banks are breeding and nursery areas for many tropical reef fish species.
Recent research indicates that the Flower Gardens may also serve as a nursery area for juvenile manta rays. Serves as a biological reservoir of Caribbean species in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Although species diversity is less than that of most Caribbean coral reefs, the ecology of the Flower Garden Banks and Stetson Bank are considered to be well-balanced in terms of the structural and functional elements, which include critical trophic levels and species interaction. They pulled up bits of brightly colored sponges, corals and algae that snagged on their lines, which were responsible for the name Flower Gardens. Education programs are currently presented on most recreational dive charters.