Coastal and Marine Habitats

Restoring

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NOAA Restoration Center

Coastal and Marine Habitats

Restoring

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NOAA Restoration Center
Restoring Habitats to Benefit Coastal and Marine Resources

In the Kah Sheets River in southeast Alaska, sockeye salmon leap over a natural cascade. But in other areas of 

Alaska and across the United States, over 2.5 million dams block fish from upstream spawning areas. Many of 

these dams provide clean energy, but countless others sit abandoned and decrepit. NOAA works with a variety 

of partners to remove idle dams and failing culverts, and to install fish ladders to help fish pass over structures 

that block migration. These restoration projects support healthy habitats and benefit fish, such as salmon, shad, 

striped bass, herring, and eels that contribute to a productive fishing industry and a healthy economy. 
n	Rebuild fishery habitat lost to impacts such as natural disasters, 

development, erosion, and neglect.

n	Sustain fisheries that provide more than 28 million jobs and 

contribute over $61 billion to the U.S. economy each year.

n	Enhance shorelines that provide a buffer against the forces of 

nature, reducing the devastating effects of wind, waves, and flooding.

n	Rehabilitate areas damaged by oil spills, ship groundings, toxic 

chemical releases, and other coastal disasters.

n	Maintain recreational opportunities and the commercial 

livelihood of many Americans living along the coastline.

n	Provide natural learning environments and recreational 

areas for all to explore, discover, and enjoy.

Why Restore Coastal and Marine Habitats?
Created in 1991, the Restoration Center is the only office within the 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) solely 

devoted to restoring the nation’s coastal, marine, and migratory fish 

habitats. The Restoration Center works with a wide array of partners 

to restore mangrove, salt marsh, seagrass, oyster, coral reef, kelp 

forest, and river habitats.

The NOAA Restoration Center ...

n	Funds and implements quality restoration projects to ensure

healthy and sustainable fishery resources.

n	Employs technical staff to help improve project design, ensure 

environmental compliance, and advance restoration techniques. 

n	Engages the local community and encourages stewardship of our

nation’s coastal and riverine habitats.

n	Collaborates with public, private, and agency partners to prioritize 

projects and leverage resources. 

n	Uses scientific monitoring to evaluate restoration project success

and ensure the efficient use of tax dollars.

What Is the NOAA Restoration Center?
Taking the Lead in Marine Habitat Restoration

In Fairhaven, Massachusetts, a helicopter airlifted sediment excavated from 

blocked channels in a salt marsh. The modifications improved natural tidal 

flow and enhanced the marsh’s ability to support fish. The NOAA Restoration 

Center provides project funding and technical assistance to coastal and 

marine restoration projects across the United States. Projects range from 

locally driven oyster reef restoration to large-scale dam removals.
Providing Technical Expertise for Project Partners

At the site of the Chalk Point oil spill in Maryland, NOAA technical staff work 

closely with the project designer and construction crew to ensure that this 

marsh restoration project achieves its goals. NOAA technical staff around the 

country have a wide variety of expertise in areas such as engineering, hydrology, 

restoration ecology, project management, and environmental compliance.
The Restoration Center, located in NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries 

Service, Office of Habitat Conservation, focuses on four major priorities:

n	The Community-based Restoration Program provides funding 

and technical assistance for habitat restoration projects and instills 

strong conservation values by actively engaging citizens in on-theground restoration projects.

n	NOAA’s Damage Assessment, Remediation, and Restoration 

Program restores natural resources after oil spills, toxic releases, and 

physical impacts such as ship groundings. 

n	Large-scale regional restoration programs take an ecosystem 

approach to restoration, carrying out large-scale projects through the 

Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection, and Restoration Act and other 

initiatives. 

n	Restoration science provides a foundation for all Restoration Center 

programs and improves restoration success across the United States. 

NOAA Restoration Center Programs and Priorities
The Community-based Restoration Program conducts meaningful 

habitat restoration and promotes hands-on community participation 

to encourage local stewardship of our nation’s coastal resources. 

Through the program, NOAA awards millions of dollars to national 

and regional partners and local grassroots organizations every year to 

restore coastal, marine, and migratory fish habitat. 

In the past decade, more than $50 million in NOAA funds have 

generated 3 to 5 times that amount in cash and in-kind contributions 

from partners, helping to expand on-the-ground projects. Special 

initiatives under this program include efforts to remove

debris from our oceans and coasts and projects to open historic river 

habitat to migratory fish.

The Community-based Restoration Program ...

n	Awards and leverages funds for habitat restoration projects.

n	Provides technical advice on restoration techniques, 

environmental compliance, and scientific monitoring.

n	Builds partnerships to identify local priorities and share resources.

n	Promotes community involvement and stewardship of local projects.

Community-based Restoration Program
Restoring our Nation’s Rivers 

Through the Open Rivers Initiative, NOAA 

supports a variety of projects that open 

historic river habitat to migratory fish species 

that move between coastal and upstream 

areas. Projects include removing derelict 

dams , culverts, and other river barriers.

Removing Marine Debris

NOAA and its partners collect derelict fishing nets, 

crab traps, old ropes, and other fishing gear that 

can ensnare marine life and create navigation 

hazards. Local volunteers often help to locate and 

remove the gear, record what types of debris and 

animals are recovered, and free trapped animals.
Under the Damage Assessment, Remediation, and Restoration Program,

NOAA acts on behalf of the public to manage, protect, remediate, and restore 

coastal and marine resources injured by oil spills, hazardous substance 

releases, and physical impacts such as ship groundings. In its 15-year history, 

the program and its partners have collected nearly $450 million for restoration 

projects such as removing river blockages, creating oyster reefs, restoring 

oiled wetlands, and reattaching broken coral.

The Damage Assessment, Remediation, and Restoration Program ...

n Stops the spread of contaminants at hazardous waste sites and oil spills.

n Evaluates natural resource injuries and identifies restoration options.

n Recovers settlement funds from responsible parties.

n Restores injured natural resources on behalf of the public.

n Monitors restoration activities to ensure project success.

n Utilizes a multidisciplinary team from NOAA’s Restoration Center,

Office of Response and Restoration, and Office of General Counsel

for Natural Resources.

Damage Assessment, Remediation, and Restoration Program
Rehabilitating Habitat After Injury

In 1990, an oil spill released more than 550,000 gallons of fuel into the Arthur Kill, a channel 

between New Jersey and Staten Island. Over 100 acres of Arthur Kill salt marshes were oiled, killing 

native vegetation, fish, and an estimated 700 birds. To compensate for natural resource injuries, 

NOAA and its co-trustees used settlement funds to purchase 200 acres of coastal habitat, and 

restored 54 acres of intertidal marsh. Another 77 acres of wetland are slated for future restoration.
NOAA’s Restoration Center conducts large-scale regional restoration in 

areas such as Puget Sound, the Great Lakes, Gulf of Maine, and coastal 

Louisiana. This restoration takes into account a wide range of ecological 

processes and has benefits at a broad watershed scale.

Through the Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection, and Restoration 

Act (CWPPRA), NOAA designs and builds large-scale habitat 

restoration projects to combat Louisiana’s land loss crisis. These 

projects are significant at the local and national scale for their role in 

improving marine fisheries, and their ability to protect communities and 

vital oil and gas infrastructure from storm damage.

Large-scale regional restoration programs ...

n	Utilize public input to plan for and prioritize restoration projects.

n	Provide technical and project management expertise to ensure the 

success of large projects.

n	Address resource issues on an ecosystem scale.

n	Restore some of the most economically and environmentally 

important habitats in the United States.

Large-Scale Regional Restoration 
Preserving the First Line of Defense Against Storms

Dredge pipes carry sediment from offshore onto Chaland Island to create crucial 

beach and marsh habitat. This 800-acre NOAA-led project will help protect Louisiana’s 

coastal communities and infrastructure from the devastating effects of wind, waves, 

and flooding, and will re-establish vital fish and migratory waterfowl habitat.
Restoration science increases the success of NOAA’s coastal and 

riverine habitat restoration projects. Through innovative fieldwork 

and research partnerships with leading universities and science 

centers, the Restoration Center uses research results to guide 

sound and cost-effective restoration.

The Restoration Center’s involvement in a project does not end 

when the project is constructed. Through scientific monitoring, we 

can continue to evaluate a site’s trajectory toward a fully functioning 

habitat and make changes when necessary.

Restoration science at NOAA’s Restoration Center ...

n	Increases the effectiveness of habitat restoration.

n	Tests innovative restoration techniques and methods.

n	Promotes science-based monitoring of restoration projects.

n	Disseminates research results to other practitioners.

Restoration Science and Evaluation
 Sound Research for Successful Restoration

NOAA scientists deploy a monitoring device that will measure 

changes in water quality following a restoration project in Tampa 

Bay, Florida. As part of the project, a new bridge replaced a section 

of causeway between two lagoon systems to improve natural water 

circulation. Monitoring at the site allows NOAA to evaluate the 

effectiveness of the project and improve similar efforts in the future.
Restoring and protecting our coastal and marine habitats depends on the 

support and dedication of individual citizens. You can become an active 

player in restoring our valuable natural resources in several ways: 

n	Contact the NOAA Restoration Center or one of the

six National Marine Fisheries Service regional offices.

n	Attend public meetings and become involved with local

planning boards, advisory committees, or other planning entities. 

n	Find out how your school can get involved in projects

in your neighborhood.

n	Volunteer to assist in restoration projects in your community.

n	Visit our website at www.nmfs.noaa.gov/habitat/restoration

for a list of funding opportunities in your area.

n	Share your experiences with others in your community! 

Get Involved!
Engaging Citizens in Local Restoration

Community volunteers sort through invasive marine algae that threatens native 

coral reefs in Hawaii. Trained divers retrieve the algae from the sea bottom, and 

shore-based volunteers sort out and return any native species that were inadvertently 

gathered. The collected algae is used as fertilizer by local taro farmers. To date, 

thousands of volunteers have helped remove over 100 tons of this invasive algae.


Mission

The NOAA Restoration Center restores habitats for the nation’s living marine 

resources. Through partnerships, the Restoration Center restores degraded habitats; 

advances the science of coastal habitat restoration; shares restoration techniques; and 

fosters long-term stewardship of marine and coastal habitats.

History

The Restoration Center is the focal point for habitat restoration within NOAA. Housed 

in NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service, the Restoration Center promotes 

habitat conservation and performs restoration pursuant to federal mandates. To meet 

its goals, the Restoration Center focuses on four major priorities: the Communitybased Restoration Program; the Damage Assessment, Remediation, and Restoration 

Program; Large-Scale Regional Restoration Programs; and Restoration Science.

For more information on NOAA habitat programs, visit www.habitat.noaa.gov

Photo Credits

Cover: K. Petersen (lady crab); Why Restore Coastal and Marine Resources?: NOAA professional photography / T. Dunklin (salmon); NOAA staff photography (marsh, trawler, diver, mangrove); T. Kane (riparian 

landscape); What is the Restoration Center?: NOAA staff photography (marsh restoration, planting); NOAA professional photography / J. Shadle (boat); M. Nishimoto (bocaccio); NOAA professional photography / 

B. Stovink (meeting); NOAA professional photography / D. Pitkin (oyster); Restoration Center Programs: NOAA professional photography / D. Harp (NOAA technical staff); NOAA staff photography (PAH sampling); 

NOAA professional photography / B. Knapp (marsh terracing); NOAA professional photography / D. Pitkin (coastal monitoring); T. Watts (alewife); Anacostia Watershed Society (girl with plant); Community-based 

Restoration Program: NOAA Marine Debris Program (trash on the beach); NOAA professional photography / K. Plummer (dam removal); T. Watts (alewife); M. Hoeschler (diver removing tires); C. Robertson 

(planting); M. Dudley (volunteers planting); California Coastkeeper (kelp); Damage Assessment, Restoration, and Remediation: NOAA professional photography / B. Stovink (Exxon Bayway); U.S. Coast Guard (burning 

ship); NOAA staff photography (monitoring, oiled bird, fisherman); NOAA professional photography / J. Shadle (beach); Large-Scale Regional Restoration: NOAA professional photography / B. Knapp (all); Restoration 

Science and Evaluation: NOAA professional photography / J. Shadle (NOAA boat); NOAA professional photography / D. Harp (NOAA technical staff); NOAA staff photography (spiny lobster, volunteers, coral); NOAA 

professional photography / K. Evans (kid volunteer); Get Involved: Hawaii Marine Algae Group (alien algae); NOAA staff photography (kayaker, volunteer); T. Watts (alewife); P. Bergstrom (blue crab); Anacostia 

Watershed Society (kid with trash); Collage: Istockphoto.com (Salmon); NOAA staff photography (diver, monitoring, surfperch); NOAA professional photography / C. Robertson (machinery); NOAA professional 

photography / J. Shadle (kayaker, avocet); NOAA professional photography / B. Knapp (marsh terracing); NOAA professional photography / K. Evans (oyster restoration); M. Dudley (volunteer).

Editing

Cathy Bozek, Robin Bruckner, Chris Doley, Stephanie Hunt

Design

Milena Viljoen

September 2007

NOAA Restoration Center

1315 East-West Highway

Silver Spring, Maryland 20910

(301) 713-0174

An online version of this publication is available at:

http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/habitat/restoration