$226 Million in Projects Approved in Gulf Open Ocean Restoration Plan
December 10, 2019
The Deepwater Horizon Open Ocean Trustee Implementation Group released the Final Open Ocean Restoration Plan 2 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 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.
Take a look at the plan and fact sheets, and learn more about how public comment helped us increase stakeholder engagement opportunities in the projects. >>