NOAA RESTORE Science Program Awards $2.3 Million for Planning Actionable Science

The NOAA RESTORE Science Program has awarded $2.3 million to 20 project teams in the Gulf of Mexico to collaboratively scope and design research that will inform future decisions on how to manage natural resources in the region including marine mammals, shorebirds, barrier islands, and fisheries. Each project, slated to begin this month, is designed to be an investment in the future of applied science, and ultimately, the sustainability of the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem. 

Lydia Olander, director of the Nicholas Institute's Ecosystem Services Program, is the lead investigator on one of the awarded projects, which will scope and design socioeconomic research to inform restoration planning decisions made for pollution incidents in the Gulf of Mexico. Project team members are: David Yoskowitz (Harte Research Institute, Texas A&M University, Corpus Christi); Alejandra Mickle, Jeff Smith, and Kristen Kaufman (NOAA Office for Habitat Conservation, Restoration Division); and Travis Grout (ERT, Inc., in support of NOAA Office for Habitat Conservation).

A total of 56 organizations will participate across the 20 projects, with representatives from universities, government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and the private sector. Each team includes at least one natural resource manager who will work side-by-side with researchers throughout the project as they plan research to inform a specific future decision.