Gulf of Mexico Restoration in Response to the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

Restoration Initiatives and Potential Relevance to Gulf of Mexico Fisheries Management 

Council

Gulf of Mexico Fisheries Management CouncilClearwater, Florida 

June 16, 2016Glenn ConstantU. S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceBaton Rouge Fish and Wildlife Conservation OfficeGulf Coast Restoration, USFWS

U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service Restoration Objectives and Strategies

Tab A, No. 7

http://www.oceanconservancy.org/places/gulf‐of‐mexico/deeper‐dive.html

Proposed Deepwater Horizon Early Restoration Proposals 1109 total Submissions

Funded Deepwater Horizon Early Restoration Projects 10 Funded Projects

0.9 % Funded

Texas $356m

Direct Component

(35%)

Council Selected 

Restoration Component 

(30%)

Louisiana $1.2b

Alabama $356m

Mississippi $356m

Florida $356m

Centers Of Excellence (2.5%)

NOAA Restore Act Science ProgramGulf Coast Ecosystem 

Restoration Science, Observation, 

Monitoring and Technology Program

(2.5%)

Programmatic Damage 

Assessment and 

Restoration Plan ($8.8b)

Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Trust FundRESTORE Act ( $6.3b)

National Academy of Sciences Gulf 

Research Program ($500 m)

Deepwater Horizon Gulf Science and Restoration Initiatives

Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund (NFWF) 

($2.5b)

North American Wetland 

Conservation Fund ($100m)

Spill Impact Component 

(30%)

Vision for a Healthy Gulf of Mexico Watershed(USFWSJuly2013)

http://www.fws.gov/gulfrestoration/pdf/VisionDocument.pdf

Gulf Restoration Program TeamRepresentatives from all of the Service’s programs

Migratory BirdsNational Wildlife Refuge SystemFish and Aquatic ConservationEcological ServicesScience Applications

Independent State Lead for each state

Vision for a Healthy Gulf of 

Mexico Watershed

(USFWSJuly2013)

Laguna Madre and Lower Rio Grande River ValleyTexas Coastal BendAustin’s Woods and PrairiesChenier PlainMississippi River Delta, Coastal Wetlands and Barrier IslandsAtchafalaya River BasinMississippi Alluvial Valley

Northern Gulf CoastAlabama and Florida Panhandle BeachesFlorida PanhandleApalachicola River WatershedBig Bend Springs ConservationSouthwest FloridaUpper Mississippi River WatershedRainwater BasinPrairie Pothole Region

16 Conservation Focal Areas

“Next Steps”

Draft Focal Areas

“Next Steps”

Next StepsRestoration Targets (Trust Resources)

Threatened and Endangered Species

Species Proposed as Candidates for Protection Under ESA (Candidate Species)

National Wildlife Refuge System

Migratory Birds

Interjurisdictional Fish Species / Sportfish Restoration

Next StepsTypes of Funded and Proposed Projects

Marsh Creation / Wetland EnhancementOyster Reef Development

Land AcquisitionImproved Hydrology / Sustainable Freshwater Flows

Living ShorelinesScience and Monitoring

Barrier Island Enhancement and ProtectionSubmerged Aquatic Vegetation

Improve Water QualityConservation Agreements

Stocking to Support Sustainable PopulationsImproved Forest Conditions

Fire

Draft Focal Areas

“Next Steps”

Texas $356m

Direct Component

(35%)

Council Selected 

Restoration Component 

(30%)

Louisiana $1.2b

Alabama $356m

Mississippi $356m

Florida $356m

Centers Of Excellence (2.5%)

NOAA Restore Act Science ProgramGulf Coast Ecosystem 

Restoration Science, Observation, 

Monitoring and Technology Program

(2.5%)

Programmatic Damage 

Assessment and 

Restoration Plan ($8.8b)

Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Trust FundRESTORE Act ( $6.3b)

National Academy of Sciences Gulf 

Research Program ($500 m)

Deepwater Horizon Gulf Science and Restoration Initiatives

Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund (NFWF) 

($2.5b)

North American Wetland 

Conservation Fund ($100m)

Spill Impact Component 

(30%)

Chapter 5. Restoring Natural Resources

380,000,000

55,000,000

273,300,000

FishandInvertebrates•AvastvolumeofopenwateracrossthenorthernGulfofMexicowasexposedtoDWHoil,injuringwatercolumnresources.Thesurfaceslickalonecoveredacumulativeareaofatleast43,300squaremiles(112,000squarekilometers)across113daysin2010.Theestimatedaveragedailyvolumeofcontaminatedwaterundersurfaceoilslickswas57billioncubicmeters.Asacomparison,thisvolumeisapproximately40timestheaveragedailydischargeoftheMississippiRiveratNewOrleans.

•Water‐columnresourcesinjuredbythespillincludespeciesfromalllevelsinthefoodchain,frombacteriatoestuarine‐dependentspecies,suchasreddrum,shrimp,andseatrout,tolargepredatoryfish,suchasbluefin tuna,thatmigratefromtheGulfofMexicointotheAtlanticandasfarastheMediterraneanSea.

•TheTrusteesestimatethat2to5trillionlarvalfishand37to68trillioninvertebrateswerekilledinthesurfacewaters,andbetween86millionand26billionfishlarvaeandbetween10millionand7billionplanktonicinvertebratesindeeperwaters.Ofthesetotals,0.4to1billionlarvalfishand2to6trillioninvertebrateswerekilledinestuarinesurfacewaters.Thelarvallosslikelytranslatedintomillionstobillionsoffishthatwouldhavereachedayearold.Larvalfishthatwerekilledbutwouldnothavesurvivedtoage1arealsoasignificantloss;theyareanenergysourceforothercomponentsoftheecosystem.

5.5.6 Restoration Type: Fish and Water Column Invertebrates 

This Restoration Type addresses the overall goal of Replenish and Protect Living Coastal and Marine Resources. 

The restoration will need to address injuries to the species at different life stages and across their geographic ranges. In accordance with the ecosystem approach to restoration, the Trustees will implement a portfolio of restoration approaches for the water column injury that is three‐fold: 

1.Coastal and nearshore habitat restoration, discussed and implemented under the Wetlands, Coastal, and Nearshore Habitats Restoration Type (Section 5.5.2), SAV Restoration Type (Section5.5.8) and Oysters Restoration Type (Section 5.5.9).

2.Offshore habitat restoration, discussed and implemented under the Mesophotic and Deep Benthic Communities Restoration Type (Section 5.5.13).

3.Mortality reduction, accomplished by addressing known sources of mortality to fish and invertebrates by reducing bycatch and fisheries interactions discussed and implemented under this Restoration Type (Section 5.5.6).

NOAA RESTORE Act Science ProgramGulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Science, Observation, Monitoring and Technology Program