The FY21 Chesapeake Bay-Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) grant funding opportunity is now open. NOAA will fund projects that increase school districts’ capacity to deliver outstanding environmental education or implement Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences (MWEEs) across school systems. Informational webinars will be held in January; application deadline is March 1. Contact: Elise Trelegan.

Through strong partnerships, NOAA’s Veteran Corps year-long paid training experiences engage Vets in marine and freshwater restoration for native fish and other natural resources. Participants also conduct research and monitoring to track the progress of fish restoration projects and fish populations. The partnerships are building on eight years of progress and success. Contacts: Laurel Jennings, Bob Pagliuco.

NOAA and partners have worked for years to restore habitat and improve water quality in Michigan’s Muskegon Lake—once considered one of the most degraded areas in the Great Lakes region. A new video highlights our work to restore this important ecosystem and support Great Lakes fisheries and communities. Contact: Julie Sims.

As part of restoring the Lower Duwamish River and its waterways, the Boeing Company broke ground on a new restoration effort along the Lower Duwamish River in Seattle, WA. The project includes installation of large woody debris, which helps improve habitat conditions and stabilizes shorelines benefitting native salmon species. Contact: Larissa Lee.

The RESTORE Council recently released their latest Gulf of Mexico restoration funding priorities (called Funded Priorities List 3b). NOAA’s GulfCorps is one program proposed for continued funding. This partnership with The Nature Conservancy and other Gulf state corps organizations employs local young adults to restore important coastal habitat. RESTORE Council is soliciting public comment on the priorities until January 5. Contact: Jamie Schubert.

Healthy coral reefs are amongst the most biologically diverse, culturally significant, and economically valuable ecosystems on Earth. In this episode, we speak with Lisa Vandiver, a Marine Habitat Restoration Specialist with NOAA’s Restoration Center and Rob Ferguson, a watershed management specialist with NOAA’s Coral Reef Conservation Program, to learn about how NOAA works alongside local partners on the island of Culebra to protect and restore the coral reef ecosystems and reduce the impacts of pollution.

Winter flounder have adapted some interesting life skills that make them unique. We work to protect their habitat to ensure they remain healthy and productive. We’re experts on the sensitive early life stages, spawning habits, and habitats winter flounder need to survive. This allows us to better manage human activities, such as dredging and development, by providing advice to minimize or prevent impacts.

The new Southeast Inland Mapper is now available to those wanting to know whether they need an essential fish habitat consultation. This new tool is designed to focus on the inland extent of EFH in the southeast, complementing the current NOAA Fisheries offshore Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) Mapper.

The Environmental Law Institute is accepting nominations for the 32nd Annual National Wetlands Awards. The National Wetlands Awards Program honors individuals who have demonstrated extraordinary commitment to the conservation and restoration of our nation’s wetlands. Deadline to submit nominations is December 23, 2020.