The Louisiana Trustee Implementation Group approved and released its Final Strategic Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment #3: Restoration of Wetlands, Coastal and Nearshore Habitats in the Barataria Basin, Louisiana (PDF 167 pg).
Deepwater Horizon
Articles:
Trail Reopening Event Highlights Significance of Ecotourism in Gulf
In January, the Jeff Friend Trail at Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge in Gulf Shores, Alabama, was re-opened after closing for restoration last fall. The project includes new longer-lasting composite material boardwalks, several new viewing platforms, and easier-to-navigate trail materials.
The Latest Update from the Deepwater Horizon NRDA Trustee Council
The Deepwater Horizon Oceanic Fish Restoration Project, which aims to restore a portion of pelagic fish populations in the Gulf of Mexico, began its second year on January 1.
NOAA and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation are working with Gulf pelagic longline vessel owners to reduce fish mortality through a temporary, voluntary fishing repose. The Trustees selected this project, formerly known as the Pelagic Longline Bycatch Reduction Project, in the fourth phase of early restoration.
Terrapins Released on Restored Louisiana Barrier Island
On July 6, NOAA and partners released 21 baby terrapins on Chenier Ronquille barrier island. We restored the island using early restoration funding received after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
How Many People are on that Beach? NOAA Economists Release Guide to Counting Coastal Recreators
NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration published a new guide for any organization interested in measuring recreational use at shoreline areas, fishing sites, and boat ramps affected by an oil spill. The resource titled, Best Practices for Collecting Onsite Data to Assess Recreational Use Impacts from an Oil Spill, builds off the processes and lessons learned from our experience conducting the natural resource damage assessment for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
Deepwater Horizon: NOAA Science Seven Years Later
On April 20, 2010, an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon Macondo oil well drilling platform killed 11 workers, and started the largest marine oil spill in U.S. history, releasing millions of barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. NOAA was on the scene from the earliest moments of the crisis, bringing more than 25 years of experience protecting and restoring our coasts from oil spills.
Open Ocean Trustee Implementation Group to Hold Webinar on Restoration Planning
The Open Ocean Trustee Implementation Group for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill is holding a webinar on Thursday, April 27 from 12-1:30 p.m. Eastern. Participants will be able to learn about our restoration planning process, request for project ideas, and next steps for the Open Ocean Restoration Area.
Deployment Begins on Texas Artificial Reef Projects for Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill
Three artificial coral reef creation projects are underway off the coast of Texas.
Deepwater Horizon Oil Effects on Marine Mammals and Sea Turtles Published in Special Issue
A special issue of Endangered Species Research, was published on Jan 31, 2017, and features 20 scientific articles that summarize the impacts of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill on marine mammals and sea turtles. The scientific studies, conducted by NOAA authors and partners, document the unprecedented mortality rate and long-term environmental impacts of the oil’s exposure and presents a synthesis of more than five years’ worth of data collection, analysis, and interpretation.
NOAA Examines Impacts of Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill on Tuna Spawning Areas
In 2010, when the Deepwater Horizon spill poured more than 4 million gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, the Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) population was already depleted, having been subject to significant habitat and fishing pressures for over a decade. A new study uses 16 years of movement and spawning data from electronically tagged tuna to identify the spawning grounds affected by the spill.
NOAA Economist Shares Data from the Deepwater Horizon Lost Recreational Use Assessment
In August, graduate students, academics, and industry consultants heard firsthand about challenges in assessing natural resource damages for the Deepwater Horizon event, the largest off shore oil spill in U.S. history. NOAA Economist Adam Domanski participated in a panel discussion at Camp Resources, an annual environmental economics workshop hosted by the Center for Environmental and Resource Economic Policy, at North Carolina State University.
Perinatal dolphin deaths in Gulf of Mexico likely result of oil exposure
The high number of deaths of perinatal (near-birth) dolphins in the Gulf of Mexico was likely caused by exposure to oil from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The pregnant dolphins suffered chronic illness caused by exposure to petroleum products which likely contributed to fetal death, according to a team of scientists. Their findings were published today in the journal Diseases of Aquatic Organisms.
Deepwater Horizon Trustees Settle with BP
Trustees Settle with BP for Natural Resource Injuries to the Gulf of Mexico
Why Is It So Hard to Count the Number of Animals Killed by Oil Spills?
DECEMBER 21, 2015 -- After an oil spill along the coast, the impacts might appear to be pretty obvious: oil on beaches, dead birds, oil-coated otters. When conducting a Natural Resource Damage Assessment, it's our job to measure those environmental impacts and determine what kind of restoration—and how much—is needed to make up for those impacts.
Deepwater Horizon Trustees Propose Fifth Phase of Early Restoration
The Deepwater Horizon trustees have proposed the fifth phase of early restoration for the oil spill, encompassing a coastal access project in Florida. The comment period ended December 31, 2015.
Barataria Bay, La. Dolphin Reproduction and Survival Decreased Due to Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill
A team of scientists is reporting a high rate of reproductive failure in dolphins exposed to oil from the Deepwater Horizon spill. The team has monitored these bottlenose dolphins in heavily-oiled Barataria Bay for five years following the spill. Their findings, published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society, suggest that the effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill will be long-lasting.
Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Trustees Release Comprehensive Restoration Plan for the Gulf of Mexico
The Trustees have proposed a comprehensive, integrated, ecosystem restoration plan for the Gulf of Mexico. The draft plan is based on our thorough assessment of impacts to the Gulf’s natural resources—and the services they provide—following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
Case Pages:
Deepwater Horizon
Oil Spill | Gulf of Mexico | April 2010
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, approximately 134 million gallons of oil had spilled into the Gulf, the largest offshore oil spill in U.S. history.