This particular case study focuses on the bird restoration project to restore loons, sea ducks, and piping plover populations after the 1996 North Cape oil spill, under the provision of the Oil Pollution Act. This was attempted by replacing the quantity of bird-years lost (estimated 2,000 birds) due to the spill.

This particular case study focuses on the shellfish restoration project to restore quahog, bay scallop and oyster populations in the coastal Rhode Island salt ponds following injuries caused by the North Cape oil spill. This was attempted by replacing the quantity of biomass (direct mortality plus forgone production, estimated 1.0 million kilograms) lost due to the spill.

The North End of Assateague Island National Seashore was experiencing continual and accelerating shoreline migration and erosion. Hurricanes and jetty construction have heightened these issues and led to geomorphologic, habitat, and biotic changes, along with 350 meters of shoreline shift. This project aims to restore natural conditions of the island and slow shoreline migration. 

Northerly Island on Lake Michigan was used as a private airport until 2003, and sat unused and contributing no ecological or public benefits until 2012, when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers proposed a restoration project. This project would restore 16 hectares into 6 habitats native to the Chicago area. 

The Olympia Oyster Restoration Project aimed to restore the threatened Olympia oysters, which had nearly gone extinct due to over-harvesting, sediment loads, and pollution. The project team 1) identified appropriate habitats for oyster restoration, 2) modified substrate for growing oysters by adding old oyster shells, 3) propagated and seed oyster spat, and 4) monitored results.

During a population biology research project, biologists observed negative impacts of crayfish on the native Sonora mud turtle population at Cottonwood Creek, including signs of predation on hatchlings. To conserve the native aquatic amphibians and reptiles, the team conducted eradication efforts through capturing crayfish by hand using dip nets.

The Regional Transportation Authority partnered with the Arizona DOT to construct two wildlife crossing structures (one overpass and one underpass) with adjacent wildlife-funnel fencing on Oracle Road to help wildlife move between protected habitat areas. The two wildlife crossing structures were constructed at the best available location to accommodate both large mammals and small animals.

In 2011, Tropical Storm Irene brought intense flooding to Otter Creek, causing severe damage to the city of Rutland, but minimal damage to Middlebury, located only 30 miles downstream. Middlebury’s conservation and restoration of Otter Creek’s floodplain and wetlands mitigated potential flood impacts and damage.  

This project will test the oyster recruitment and growth ability of different types of cultch material in Mobile Bay, Alabama. Oyster density and growth has declined in Mobile Bay due to damage from hurricanes and increases in oyster drill populations. This project will restore reef and help inform future restoration project materials. 

This project explored the potential of using Wildfire Risk Reduction Buffers (WRRBs) between the urban area and the wildlands for fire risk reduction. The team selected Paradise, CA as its prioritization site due to its fire risk, opportunity, and recreation value. They created five buffers totaling 34,553 acres and conduct habitat-sensitive fuel reduction and open space management.

This project was focused on restoring a half-mile floodplain and terraces along Glorieta Creek within Pecos National Historical Park (NHP), which had been historically mined for sand and gravel and bulldozed into levees and two reservoirs. The main goal was to restore hydrological function by removing the levees and reservoirs and recontouring the creek channel.

Pennsylvania’s freshwater ecosystems are at risk from climate change. Increased air temperatures, and the related increase of stream waters, can reduce the ability for some aquatic species to survive. After conducting a vulnerability assessment, recommended actions include identifying and protecting critical habitat and removing small dams to conserve habitat and mitigate temperature increases. 

This project restored 20 acres of degraded dune habitat in Perdido Key, Florida. Restoration consisted of plantings of native vegetation seaward of the dunes to provide a buffer to the dunes and enhance dune habitat. Plantings included sea oats, panic grasses, cord grasses, sea purslane, and beach elder. 

The state of Wisconsin, with funding from the Environmental Protection Agency’s Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, used dredged material to create endangered Piping Plover habitat in the St. Louis River Estuary.  This project successfully established breeding habitat, removed dangerous shoaling sites near the Duluth-Superior Harbor, and increased bird-watching opportunities. 

This project installed a living shoreline to protect shorelines in Portersville Bay near Point aux Pins in Mobile County, Alabama. The shoreline will use natural and/or artificial breakwater materials to absorb wave energy, reduce shoreline erosion, provide habitat, and increase benthic productivity.

Pool 8 is a degraded 15,400-hectare area in the Upper Mississippi River System. To restore aquatic and terrestrial habitat, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers used dredged sediment to reconstruct islands in Pool 8. This reduced erosion, improved water quality and clarity, and allowed for habitat restoration.  

After Hurricanes Irma and Maria, over 11% of Puerto Rico’s coral reefs were damaged. The Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources, along with NOAA, FEMA and other local partners assessed damages and conducted emergency reattachment of corals, resulting in approximately 16,000 corals over 63 sites in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. 

The 2011 Horseshoe 2 fire caused intense flooding and soil erosion which led to stream sedimentation, infrastructure damage, and degraded watershed conditions in the Chiricahua Mountains region. To address this, partners engaged in a restoration project in burned (Tex Canyon) and unburned (Bar Boot Allotment) watersheds using in-channel loose rock erosion control structures.

Prime Hook Wildlife Refuge, located on Delaware Bay’s Western shore, was severely degraded due to sea-level rise, storms, and anthropogenic pressures. These issues led to over 1,600 hectares of freshwater marsh and 240 hectares of riparian forest impacted or lost. This project restored habitat, nourished shorelines, and increased resiliency of the refuge. 

Researchers and managers from the University of Arizona, Arizona Game and Fish Department, USFWS, USFS, and BLM collaborated to eradicate American bullfrogs (Rana catesbeiana) and other invasive species from several sites in southern Arizona to conserve native aquatic species. The Frog Team employed mechanical removal, pond draining, and water pumping for reuse to eliminate non-native bullfrogs.