from, any such investment shall be avail-
able for expenditure and shall be allocated 
in equal portions to the Gulf Coast Eco-
system Restoration Science, Monitoring, 
and Technology Program and Fisheries 
Endowment established in section 5 of the 
Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability, 
Tourist Opportunities, and Revived Econo-
mies of the Gulf Coast States Act of 
2011.’’. 
SEC. 5. GULF COAST ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION SCIENCE, 
OBSERVATION, 
MONITORING, 
AND 
TECH-
NOLOGY PROGRAM. 
(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) ADMINISTRATOR.—The term ‘‘Adminis-
trator’’ means the Administrator of the National 
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 
(2) COUNCIL.—The term ‘‘Council’’ has the 
meaning given such term in section 311 of the Fed-
eral Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1321), 
as added by section 4 of this Act. 
(3) 
FISHERIES
AND
ECOSYSTEM
ENDOW-
MENT.—The term ‘‘Fisheries and Ecosystem En-
dowment’’ means the endowment established by sub-
section (d). 
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(4) GULF
COAST
REGION.—The term ‘‘Gulf 
Coast region’’ has the meaning given such term in 
section 311 of the Federal Water Pollution Control 
Act (33 U.S.C. 1321), as added by section 4 of this 
Act. 
(5) GULF
COAST
STATE.—The term ‘‘Gulf 
Coast State’’ has the meaning given such term in 
section 311 of the Federal Water Pollution Control 
Act (33 U.S.C. 1321), as added by section 4 of this 
Act. 
(6) PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘Program’’ means 
the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Science, Ob-
servation, Monitoring, and Technology Program es-
tablished by subsection (b). 
(b) ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM.—There is estab-
lished within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Ad-
ministration a program to be known as the ‘‘Gulf Coast 
Ecosystem Restoration Science, Observation, Monitoring, 
and Technology Program’’, to be carried out by the Ad-
ministrator. 
(c) CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—In carrying out the Pro-
gram, the Administrator shall make grants in ac-
cordance with paragraph (2) to establish and oper-
ate 5 centers of excellence, one of which shall be lo-
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cated in each of the States of Alabama, Florida, 
Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. 
(2) GRANTS.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—The Administrator 
shall use the amounts made available to carry 
out this section to award competitive grants to 
nongovernmental entities and consortia in the 
Gulf Coast region (including public and private 
institutions of higher education) for the estab-
lishment of centers of excellence as described in 
paragraph (1). 
(B) APPLICATION.—To be eligible to re-
ceive a grant under this paragraph, an entity or 
consortium described in subparagraph (A) shall 
submit to the Administrator an application at 
such time, in such manner, and containing such 
information as the Administrator determines to 
be appropriate. 
(C) PRIORITY.—In awarding grants under 
this paragraph, the Administrator shall give 
priority to entities and consortia that dem-
onstrate the ability to establish the broadest 
cross-section of participants with interest and 
expertise in any discipline described in para-
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graph (3) on which the proposed curriculum of 
the center of excellence will be focused. 
(D) 
PREFERENCE.—The 
Administrator 
shall award grants in a manner that provides a 
preference to entities and consortia that are 
principally led by, are headquartered in, or are 
principally engaged in research in a Gulf Coast 
State and shall include representatives from re-
search universities that are engaged in marine 
and ocean science, deltaic sustainability, or gulf 
coast restoration in the applicable Gulf Coast 
State. 
(3) DISCIPLINES.—Each center of excellence 
shall focus the curriculum of the center on science, 
technology, and monitoring in at least one of the fol-
lowing disciplines: 
(A) Coastal and deltaic sustainability, res-
toration, and protection, including solutions and 
technology that allow citizens to live safely and 
sustainably in a coastal delta. 
(B) Coastal fisheries and wildlife eco-
system research and monitoring. 
(C) Offshore energy development, including 
research and technology to improve the sustain-
able and safe development of energy resources. 
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(D) Sustainable and resilient growth, eco-
nomic and commercial development in the Gulf 
Coast. 
(E) 
Comprehensive 
observation, 
moni-
toring, and mapping of the Gulf of Mexico. 
(4) COORDINATION WITH OTHER PROGRAMS.— 
The Administrator shall develop a plan for the co-
ordination of projects and activities between the Pro-
gram and other existing Federal and State science 
and technology programs in the States of Alabama, 
Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas, as well 
as between the centers of excellence. 
(d) ESTABLISHMENT OF FISHERIES AND ECOSYSTEM 
ENDOWMENT.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Council 
shall establish a fishery and ecosystem endowment 
to ensure, to the maximum extent practicable, the 
long-term sustainability of the ecosystem, fish 
stocks, fish habitat, and the recreational, commer-
cial, and charter fishing industries in the Gulf of 
Mexico. 
(2) EXPENDITURE OF FUNDS.—For each fiscal 
year, amounts made available to carry out this sub-
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section may be expended for, with respect to the 
Gulf of Mexico— 
(A) marine and estuarine research; 
(B) marine and estuarine ecosystem moni-
toring and ocean observation; 
(C) data collection and stock assessments; 
(D) pilot programs for— 
(i) fishery independent data; and 
(ii) reduction of exploitation of spawn-
ing aggregations; and 
(E) cooperative research. 
(3) ADMINISTRATION AND IMPLEMENTATION.— 
The Fisheries and Ecosystem Endowment shall be 
administered by the Administrator with guidance 
provided by the Regional Gulf of Mexico Fishery 
Management Council. 
(4) SPECIES INCLUDED.—The research, moni-
toring, assessment, and programs eligible for 
amounts made available under the Fisheries and 
Ecosystem Endowment shall include all marine, es-
tuarine, aquaculture, and fish species in State and 
Federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico. 
(5) RESEARCH
PRIORITIES.—In distributing 
funding under this subsection, priority shall be given 
to integrated, long-term projects that— 
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(A) build on, or are coordinated with, re-
lated research activities; and 
(B) address current or anticipated marine 
ecosystem, fishery, or wildlife management in-
formation needs. 
(6) DUPLICATION.—In carrying out this sub-
section, the Administrator shall seek to avoid dupli-
cation of other research and monitoring activities. 
(7) LIMITATION ON EXPENDITURES.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—Not more than 3 per-
cent of funds provided in subsection (e) shall be 
used by the Administrator for administrative 
expenses. 
(B) NOAA.—The funds provided in sub-
section (e) may not be used— 
(i) for any existing or planned re-
search headed by the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration, unless as 
agreed to in writing by the grant recipient 
entity; 
(ii) to implement existing regulations 
or to initiate new regulations promulgated 
or proposed by the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration; or 
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(iii) to develop or approve a new lim-
ited access privilege program (as that term 
is used in section 303A of the Magnuson- 
Stevens Fishery Conservation and Manage-
ment Act) for any fishery under the juris-
diction of the South Atlantic, Mid-Atlantic, 
New England, or Gulf of Mexico Fishery 
Management Councils. 
(e) FUNDING.—Except as provided in section 
311(t)(4) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 
U.S.C. 1321(t)(4)), of the total amount made available for 
each fiscal year for the Gulf Coast Restoration Trust 
Fund established under section 3 of this Act, 5 percent 
shall be allocated in equal portions to the Program and 
the Fisheries and Ecosystem Endowment established by 
this section. 
(f) SUNSET.—Any entities established under this sec-
tion shall cease operations when all funds in the Gulf 
Coast Restoration Trust Fund established under section 
3 of this Act have been expended. 
SEC. 6. EFFECT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Nothing in this Act or any 
amendment made by this Act— 
(1) supersedes or otherwise affects any provi-
sion of Federal law, including, in particular, laws 
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providing recovery for injury to natural resources 
under the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (33 U.S.C. 
2701 et seq.) and laws for the protection of public 
health and the environment; or 
(2) applies to any fine collected under section 
311 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 
U.S.C. 1321) for any incident other than the Deep-
water Horizon oil spill. 
(b) USE OF FUNDS.—Funds made available under 
this Act may be used only for eligible activities specifically 
authorized by this Act. 
(c) DEFINITION.—The term ‘‘Deepwater Horizon oil 
spill’’ has the meaning given such term in section 311 of 
the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 
1321). 
SEC. 7. LAND ACQUISITION. 
None of the funds made available under this Act may 
be used for Federal land acquisition. 
Æ 
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