Programs

The NOAA Restoration Center is devoted to restoring the nation’s coastal ecosystems and preserving diverse and abundant marine life. Through its strong commitment to restoration and by promoting partnerships and local stewardship, our programs inform and inspire people to act on behalf of a healthier coastal environment.

Large-scaled regional restoration projects conducted under the Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection, and Restoration Act reduce coastal erosion and reverse wetlands loss in Louisiana, where tens of thousands of acres of wetlands are lost through subsidence, erosion, and die-offs each year.

The Community-based Restoration Program applies a novel, grass-roots approach to restoration and is designed to actively engage communities in on-the-ground restoration of local habitats.

NOAA’s Damage Assessment, Remediation and Restoration Program works to restore marine resources that have been injured due oil spills, toxic releases, or ship groundings.

NOAA’s Great Lakes Habitat Restoration Program works to restore coastal and near-shore habitats in the Great Lakes.

Finding ways to address Invasive Species is another NOAA priority as these nuisance plants and critters continue to take over our aquatic habitats.

Through its Open Rivers Initiative, the Restoration Center provides technical expertise and financial assistance to remove dams and barriers and restore habitat for the many species that move between the ocean and the nation’s freshwater rivers and streams.

The Restoration Science Program advances emerging restoration technology, science, and cost-effective practices.

Through the Recovery Act, NOAA is funding 50 high-quality, high-priority coastal restoration projects. These projects are creating jobs and restoring habitats throughout the United States.