This April, NOAA will join our partners observing 10 years after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, the largest U.S. offshore oil spill in history. The 2010 incident resulted in the tragic loss of human life and an unprecedented impact to the Gulf’s coastal and marine resources. NOAA is working with the Gulf states, other federal agencies, nonprofits, academia and private industry to restore the Gulf’s ecosystems, starting shortly after the spill and continuing years into the future. Contact: Stephen Heverly.

For more than 20 years, NOAA has partnered with the North Carolina Coastal Federation to create living shorelines. Recent projects have restored more than a mile of vulnerable shoreline in the state, helping coastal communities withstand storms and rising sea levels. Contact: Natalie McLenaghan.

NOAA is funding four projects that will enhance recreational fisheries engagement and restore habitat through the coastal National Fish Habitat Partnerships. The projects will actively engage anglers in habitat restoration efforts in Alaska, Washington, California, and Virginia; and will benefit coastal communities and economies. Contact: Emily Farr.

A series of webinars to help educators learn more about how to provide Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences is being offered by the NOAA Environmental Science Training Center, which is managed by the NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office. Sessions are scheduled for April 7, May 12, and May 21. Additional online trainings are available. Contact: Bart Merrick.

Coastal restoration is a significant source of jobs. NOAA received $167 million dollars from the  2009 American Reinvestment and Recovery Act to restore coastal areas throughout the country and help jumpstart the nation's economy. The primary goals were to restore habitats and stimulate economic growth by supporting “shovel-ready” projects by putting American's back to work. See our report summarizing the economic and environmental benefits from 125 habitat restoration projects. Contact: Giselle Samonte.

Proschkinia browderiana, a type of algae new to science, was recently named after NOAA Fisheries scientist Dr. Joan Browder. This new species was found in the NOAA Biscayne Bay Habitat Focus Area off Miami as part of the epiphytic algae growing on seagrass in nearshore areas of the Bay. Contact: Michelle Miller.

10 years ago an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil well killed and injured workers, and started the largest marine oil spill in U.S. history. As the lead science agency for coastal oil spills, NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration provided mission-critical information to guide the emergency response, assessment of damages, and restoration plannanning. Now they’re reflecting back on how science supported our work then, and how it makes us better prepared for the future.

Dam removals and fish passage construction have opened up new habitat in Maine's Sheepscot River for sea-run fish, including endangered Atlantic salmon. Opening up river habitat can help increase the populations of these fish, many of which are prey for popular recreational fish like tuna and striped bass.

With lots of kids home from school, you might be looking for educational activities that can be done without leaving the house. Here’s a quick roundup of NOAA’s most popular educational resources to help you safely hunker down while learning about the ocean and atmosphere.

The RAE-CSO hosted Summit presentation deadline has been extended to April 17, 2020. The poster presentation deadline remains July 17, 2020. Organizers are still aiming for the conference to be held in October in Providence, RI.