The Gulf Coast suffered extensive damage following Deepwater Horizon in 2010 – the largest oil spill in U.S. history and one that impacted vast areas of ocean, seafloor, and coastal ecosystems and took a heavy toll on the region’s natural resource-dependent communities. Three major programs are at the forefront of a major restoration plan that will support a variety of projects ranging from coastal and offshore habitat restoration to recovery of species, water quality improvement, and land acquisition.
To help ensure that restoration efforts yield the desired results, a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine provides guidance on best approaches for monitoring and evaluating restoration activities.
The chair and members of the committee that conducted the study and wrote the report will present their findings and recommendations at a public briefing beginning at 10 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, July 26, in Room 103 of the Academies’ Keck Center, 500 Fifth St., N.W., Washington, D.C. Those who cannot attend may view a live webcast of the event at http://nas-sites.org/restoration-monitoring/.
DETAILS:
Advance copies of Effective Monitoring to Evaluate Ecological Restoration in the Gulf of Mexico will be available to reporters only beginning at noon EDT on Monday, July 25. The report is embargoed and not for public release before 10 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, July 26. To obtain a copy of the report or to register to attend the briefing, reporters should contact the Academies’ Office of News and Public Information; tel. 202-334-2138 or email [email protected].
