The Deepwater Horizon Open Ocean Trustee Implementation Group released the Final Open Ocean Restoration Plan 2 (PDF, 493 pages) selecting 18 projects totaling almost $226 million to help restore fish, sea turtles, marine mammals and mesophotic and deep benthic communities injured by the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
The plan and its projects represent the largest dedication of Natural Resource Damage Assessment funds to restore these oceanic marine resources in the Gulf of Mexico to date. The selected projects will:
- Develop innovative and voluntary tools for commercial fishermen to reduce bycatch of fish and recreational anglers to help more released fish survive.
- Identify opportunities to partner with commercial fishermen to reduce the risk of sea turtle bycatch, and local organizations to protect sea turtle nesting habitat.
- Develop and implement tools and techniques to reduce risks to marine mammals from vessel collisions, ocean noise, and disasters.
- Better understand deep-sea (mesophotic and deep benthic) coral habitat to improve their management and protection, remove threats, and develop new restoration techniques.
- Develop voluntary ways to protect and restore marine resources that are based in and supported by science.
A draft of the plan was released in May for a 79-day public comment period during which the Trustees received 53 comments, mostly supportive. Based on input during the public comment period, the Trustees revised three projects to increase opportunities for fishing industry stakeholder engagement. A summary of changes made based on public comments is provided in the plan’s Chapter 1.
marine mammals most affected by the
2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
Learn More at an Upcoming Webinar
The next opportunity to learn more about this plan and projects will be at the Open Ocean Trustee Implementation Group’s December 12 webinar. During this meeting, we will present updates on Open Ocean activities, and provide an opportunity for questions and answers.
- Date: December 12, 2019
- Time: 12:00 – 1:30 p.m. CT
- Register: Registration information is in our webinar announcement.
More information about opportunities for stakeholders and potential partners to participate in the restoration projects will be shared in the coming months through the Trustees’ ongoing outreach and engagement.
Final Plan Documents
- Final Open Ocean Restoration Plan 2 and Environmental Assessment: Fish, Sea Turtles, Marine Mammals, and Mesophotic and Deep Benthic Communities (PDF, 493 pages)
- Final Open Ocean Restoration Plan 2 Executive Summary (PDF, 6 pages); Translated into Vietnamese/tiếng Việt (PDF, 6 pages)
- Final Open Ocean Restoration Plan 2 Chapters 1 and 5 – Vietnamese/tiếng Việt (PDF, 48 pages)
- Final Open Ocean Restoration Plan 2 List of Acronyms (PDF, 3 pages)
- Final Open Ocean Restoration Plan 2 Appendix G: List of Repositories (pdf, 2 pages)
Updated Fact Sheets - December 2019
- Better Bycatch Reduction Devices for the Commercial Shrimp Trawl Fishery Project (PDF, 2 pages); Translated into Vietnamese/tiếng Việt (PDF, 2 pages)
- Reducing Juvenile Sea Turtle Bycatch Through Reduced Bar Spacing in Turtle Excluder Devices Project (PDF, 2 pages); Translated into Vietnamese/tiếng Việt (PDF, 2 pages)
Fact Sheets Released in May 2019
- Fish Restoration Type Projects Overview and Project Details (PDF, 10 pages); Translated into Vietnamese/tiếng Việt (PDF, 10 pages)
- Sea Turtle Restoration Type Projects Overview and Project Details (PDF, 14 pages); Overview Translated into Vietnamese/tiếng Việt (PDF, 4 pages)
- Marine Mammal Restoration Type Projects Overview (PDF, 2 pages); Translated into Vietnamese/tiếng Việt (PDF, 2 pages)
- Marine Mammal Restoration Type Projects Overview and Project Details (PDF, 14 pages)
- Mesophotic and Deep Benthic Communities Restoration Type Projects Overview (PDF, 2 pages); Translated into Vietnamese/tiếng Việt (PDF, 2 pages)
- Mesophotic and Deep Benthic Communities Restoration Type Projects Overview and Project Details (PDF, 10 pages)