Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units Program: Louisiana
Education, Research and Technical Assistance for Managing Our Natural Resources

On April 4, 2016, the Trustees reached a settlement with BP to resolve BP’s liability for natural resource injuries from the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill as part of the Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) process. Based on this assessment, the Trustees selected a comprehensive, integrated ecosystem approach to restoration in the Gulf of Mexico. Given the unprecedented temporal, spatial, and funding scales associated with the DWH oil spill restoration effort, robust monitoring and adaptive management to support restoration planning and implementation are integrated into planning efforts. This work, in collaboration with all Trustees and state and federal agencies managing coastal resources, aims to develop a framework that will enable the evaluation of restoration effectiveness, address uncertainties, as applicable, related to project planning and implementation, and provide feedback to inform future restoration decisions.