The Trustees and BP have identified approximately $134 million in projects to be included in the next proposed phase of early restoration. This milestone comes five years after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

The Trustees are implementing an early restoration project that is helping nesting sea turtles by reducing the impacts of lighting on beach habitat. The $4.3 million project is improving lighting in many nesting locations along the Florida and Alabama coasts.

The goal of some of the restoration projects we've undertaken is to help compensate for recreational opportunities that were lost as a result of the spill. One of these projects is the Mahogany Mill Boat Ramp and Park in Pensacola, Florida.

Several studies on bottlenose dolphins have been conducted since the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Information from these studies to date presents a picture of chronic poor health, failed pregnancies, and increased mortality in the aftermath and footprint of the spill.

On April 20, 2010, an explosion occurred on the Deepwater Horizon drilling platform in the Gulf of Mexico. The explosion, which killed 11 men, caused the rig to sink and started a catastrophic oil leak from the well. Before it was capped three months later, more than 100 million gallons of oil spilled into the Gulf—resulting in the largest offshore oil spill in U.S. history.

The Trustees immediately got to work. We are assessing injuries to natural resources—such as barrier islands, dunes, marshes, shorelines, and oyster beds—and lost recreation resulting from the spill. This thorough

Since the spill, the Trustees have been conducting many studies to assess the impacts of the spill on wildlife, including sea turtles. During the oil spill response, roughly 450 oiled turtles were found, rescued, and released back into the wild.

We have 54 early restoration projects underway throughout the Gulf, and now you can track our progress quickly and easily using our new interactive map.

The Trustees have selected and approved the largest suite of Gulf of Mexico early restoration projects since the oil spill. The restoration plan includes 44 projects totaling an estimated $627 million.