ELI Oil Spill Recovery Timeline

The Environmental Law Institute (ELI) just updated its “BP Oil Disaster: Restoration & Recovery Timeline of Major Events in Gulf Recovery.” The timeline “provides an overview of major events related to the three main Gulf restoration and recovery processes: the Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA), the RESTORE Act, and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Read More

NRDA restoration project ideas

As part of its effort to solicit Gulf restoration ideas, the Natural Resource Damage Assessment, Open Ocean Trustee Implementation Group, will host a webinar on Thursday, April 27 from 12:00-1:30 p.m. ET to describe the NRDA restoration planning process, request for project ideas, and next steps for the Open Ocean Restoration Area. The deadline for Read More

NWF Restoration Report

The National Wildlife Federation (NWF) just released its report, “Making the Most of Restoration: Priorities for a Recovering Gulf.” This follow-up to its 2014 report provides their recommendations on Gulf coastal ecosystems, with emphasis on estuaries. The report identifies “suites of projects that have the greatest collective impact on priority estuaries.” Their approach included: reviewing Read More

Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council Releases Proposed Regulation to Implement the Spill Impact Component of the RESTORE Act

Stated in the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council’s press release:  “On Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2015, the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council (Council) posted for public and Tribal comment and review proposed regulation to implement the Spill Impact Component of the RESTORE Act. The regulation will establish the formula allocating funds made available from the Gulf Read More

Environmental Law Institute Releases New Gulf Educational Materials

ELI releases a new set of educational materials on Gulf restoration targeted for people unfamiliar with the restoration process. The materials focus on the natural resources damage assessment (NRDA), the RESTORE Act, and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) funds. Included are one-page summaries for each of the processes, a one-page overview of all Read More

NOAA RESTORE Act Science Program Announces First Awards

The NOAA RESTORE Act Science Program has completed its first funding competition and awarded approximately $2.7 million to seven research teams. These teams and their projects were selected following a rigorous and highly competitive process which included a review by a panel of outside experts. The awards range in size from $309,000 to $400,000 and Read More

FL Center of Excellence Program Announces 10 Funded Projects; Public Meetings Addressing RESTORE Council’s Draft FPL; Registration Open for 2016 GoM Oil Spill & Ecosystem Science Conference

FL Center of Excellence Program Announces 10 Funded Projects The Florida Institute of Oceanography (FIO) led FL RESTORE Act Centers of Excellence Program announced the ten projects selected to receive DWH oil spill penalties to work to improve the health of the Gulf. These projects were selected through an expert peer review process and will Read More

GCERC Final Priorities List

The Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council released its initial list of restoration projects to be included on its “Final Priorities List.”  As stated at the Council web site, “Using funds from the settlement with Transocean Deepwater Inc., the Council is seeking to provide near-term, on-the-ground ecosystem benefits, while also conducting planning activities designed to build Read More

LUMCON Releases 2015 Hypoxia Update; Abstracts Due for 2016 GoM Oil Spill Conference; Tri-international and International Marine Conferences November 2015

LUMCON Releases 2015 Hypoxia Update: On August 4, 2015, Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium (LUMCON) issued a press release with a summary addressing 2015’s hypoxic findings in the northern Gulf of Mexico. According to the summary, “This year’s ‘Dead Zone” is the size of Connecticut and Rhode combined, and is the 11th largest in size since Read More