Fighting for Coral: Puerto Rico Mission Highlights NOAA Vet Training Programs

NOAA continues to work with many partners to assess and repair damaged coral after this year's hurricanes. A new FEMA-supported emergency response and assessment mission in Puerto Rico recently kicked-off and highlights a number of programs we are supporting that benefit both NOAA's goal of habitat conservation AND our country's military veterans. Force Blue, is the newest organization to join other NOAA-supported veteran and conservation corps efforts focused on training vets and young adults in habitat restoration skills. Learn More >

Chesapeake Bay Fisheries Science Federal Funding Opportunity Now Open

A total of roughly $500,000, subject to appropriations, may be available to fund new projects that research the links between habitat in the Chesapeake Bay and summer flounder and black sea bass survival and productivity. Proposals are due by April 26. The NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office incorporated recommendations from fishery managers and scientists to develop the request for proposals for these grants. Learn More >

Restoration Benefits Fish, Wildlife, and Local Communities in Washington

RDML Timothy Gallaudet, NOAA's Acting Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere, recently toured the Qwuloolt Estuary restoration project in Washington to see a successful example from NOAA's Damage Assessment Remediation and Restoration Program. The 350-acre habitat restoration project reconnects a former marsh to provide critical habitat for salmon and other wildlife, while also allowing local communities access to the area via a trail system. Learn More >

New Partner E-Mail List for NOAA's Coastal Resilience Grants Program

The NOAA Coastal Resilience Grants program has created a new mailing list to keep subscribers informed of program announcements. The list will be used to share announcements on funding and similar program updates. To sign up for the email list, please send an email to noaa-crg-list-subscribe@csc.noaa.gov. Learn More >

Celebrate 2018 as the International Year of the Reef

2018 has been designated the third International Year of the Reef. This yearlong campaign aims to highlight the importance of coral reefs. Coral reefs cover less than one percent of the planet, but are home to 25 percent of marine species. They supply food to millions of people and provide billions of dollars in services, such coastal protection, jobs, and tourism and are under threat. Learn More >

Deepwater Horizon Open Ocean Trustees Initiate First Two Restoration Plans

The Deepwater Horizon Open Ocean Trustee Implementation Group has initiated drafting of its first and second post settlement draft restoration plans to help restore birds and sturgeon (plan #1), and fish, sea turtles, marine mammals and mesophotic/deep benthic resources (plan #2). The plans will be released separately at different times later in 2018. The public provided hundreds of project ideas that have been boiled down to a number of restoration approaches being considered. In addition, the Florida Trustee Implementation Group recently released phase V.2 Final Restoration Plan. Learn More >

NOAA and FWS Restoration Webinar Series

The Restoration Webinar Series sponsored by NOAA and FWS have scheduled new presentations. This series is open to the public and aims to share information among restoration practitioners. Additional topic suggestions are also welcome. Upcoming dates and topics below. Learn More >

March 15: Testing a Novel Adaptation Strategy in a California Salt Marsh.
April 26: "Positive or Neutral Effects of Non-native plant species in hybrid ecosystems: The use of songbirds and other observable wildlife as measures of restoration success.
May 24: Where Shrews Walk on Water: Diversity by Design for BC's South Coast."
June 21: Floodplain Reconnection on Butano Creek - Design, Implementation and Preliminary Post-Project Results.