The Deepwater Horizon Regionwide Trustee Implementation Group has finalized its first restoration plan (PDF, 401 pages), focused on restoring sea turtles, marine mammals, oysters, and birds. The plan includes $99.6 million in 11 restoration projects to be implemented across the Gulf states and offshore waters. It also targets specific locations in Mexico and on the Atlantic coast of Florida. 

Final Project Alternatives

The projects described in the final restoration plan include:

• Four projects ($18.6 million) will restore sea turtles by focusing on nesting beaches, enhancing stranding and

The Louisiana Trustee Implementation Group (TIG) has completed its Monitoring and Adaptive Management (MAM) Strategy (PDF, 44 pages). The document describes the TIG’s objectives, processes, and priorities to support restoration planning, implementation, and evaluation through monitoring and adaptive management activities.

This Strategy improves the TIG’s ability to achieve effective and efficient restoration of natural resources injured by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Louisiana Restoration Area—with more than $200 million from the Deepwater Horizon monitoring and adaptive management

Return ‘Em Right is an angler-driven initiative that will tackle release mortality from barotrauma to restore reef fish species injured by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The program offers Gulf of Mexico anglers an opportunity to sharpen their release skills when targeting reef fish like groupers and snappers. In return, anglers will receive release gear to use on the water. The gear and skills will help fish that are released get back down to the depths they typically inhabit and continue to thrive. Providing anglers with the knowledge and tools to successfully release reef fish will

In July, the Open Ocean Trustee Implementation Group marked a milestone in the conservation of sea turtle nesting habitat. In collaboration with partners at The Conservation Fund and the State of Florida, the Open Ocean Trustees completed the acquisition of a 3.25 acre privately-owned parcel within the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge in Florida.

The land acquisition is part of the Long-Term Nesting Beach Habitat Protection for Sea Turtles project. This project includes working with willing landowners to purchase parcels with high quality sea turtle nesting habitat that are connected to

The Texas Trustee Implementation Group is beginning the process of drafting their second Deepwater Horizon restoration plan to address the following restoration goals:

• Restore and Conserve Habitat
• Restore Water Quality
• Replenish and Protect Living Coastal and Marine Resources

The plan will consider projects under the following restoration types:

• Wetlands, Coastal, and Nearshore Habitats
• Nutrient Reduction
• Oysters
• Sea Turtles
• Birds

We began this restoration planning effort in October 2020 by requesting project ideas from the public. The submission period for project ideas closed

The Trustees have followed through on their commitment to a transparent administrative process by revising their standard operating procedures for increased clarity and accuracy. These operating procedures guide the long-term management, implementation, and administration of settlement funds for natural resource restoration.

The changes include revisions to:

• Financial Topics (deposits, returns, excess funds)
• Financial audit details
• Monitoring and Adaptive Management guidelines
• Supplemental Environmental Assessment and Environmental Impact Statement procedures

And the addition of:

• A

With increasingly active tropical storm seasons in the western Gulf of Mexico, resiliency is at the forefront of conservation discussions. Fortunately, there is good news to share. In June, the Bahia Grande Coastal Corridor Habitat Acquisition project was completed.

The Bahia Grande project was included within the 2017 Texas Trustee Implementation Group’s Final Restoration Plan, and was co-implemented by the Department of the Interior and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. The project focused on the acquisition of the Holly Beach property consisting of tidal wetlands, thornscrub

Stakeholder and community feedback have contributed to improved usability and experience for visitors to our website at GulfSpillRestoration.noaa.gov. Redesigned for you, it is now easier to stay up-to-date with draft and final restoration plans, monitoring and adaptive management work, and other Trustee Implementation Group activities.

We heard comments that you were looking for better ways to find information, track comment periods, and follow restoration progress. We invite you to take a tour through the improved website, including these key updates:

• The homepage now includes a green

The Louisiana Trustee Implementation Group has approved $785,000 in Monitoring and Adaptive Management funding to facilitate the development of a plan to inventory and assess life in the Barataria estuary’s lower trophic levels–the organisms that form the base of the marine food web.

Lower trophic level organisms include phytoplankton and animals such as zooplankton, worms, and small clams. They are an especially important food source for juvenile fish that live in the estuary. Additionally, they help to break down dead organic matter; oxygenate sediments; and help to maintain healthy levels

Work continued making progress on two living shoreline projects in Florida and Mississippi this summer, building natural infrastructure that will help protect coastal habitats and communities in the Gulf of Mexico. Together, these projects are restoring more than 55 acres of marsh and 56 acres of reef habitat to help restore injuries caused by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

Shorelines, marshes, and barrier islands provide protection for coastal communities and habitats along the Gulf of Mexico. However, many of these habitats have been lost or degraded due to storms, sea level rise, and