Coastal & Marine Environmental Restoration

ocean-news.com (editorial),

What happens after an environmental disaster?

To many, it may not be clear exactly what environmental restoration entails and why it is so important. Defined, environmental restoration is closely allied with (or perhaps sometimes used interchangeably with) ecological restoration or environmental remediation.

In the U.S., remediation is the term used more in the realms of industry, public policy, and the civil services.

In the 1987 edition of his book Restoring the Earth: How Americans are Working to Renew our Damaged Environment, scientific editor and writer John J. Berger defined environmental restoration (or “natural resource restoration”) as follows: "… A process in which a damaged resource is renewed. Biologically. Structurally. Functionally."

Marine environmental restoration can be divided into three main categories: estuaries, marshes and mangroves; coral, seagrass and shellfish; and oceanic.

In the U.S., the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has the governmental lead on restoration. Created in 1991, the Restoration Center is the only office within NOAA solely devoted to restoring the nation’s coastal, marine and migratory fish habitats. The Center works with a wide array of partners to restore mangrove, salt marsh, seagrass, oyster, coral reef, kelp forest and river habitats.

NOAA defines restoration as the process of reestablishing a self-sustaining habitat that closely resembles the natural condition in terms of structure and function. For America's living marine resources, the goal of "restoration" is to expedite natural processes to rebuild a healthy, functioning natural ecosystem that works like it did before it was polluted or destroyed.

The Restoration Center is the only office within NOAA that is solely devoted to restoring the nation’s coastal, marine and migratory fish habitat.

According to NOAA, the U.S., including its island territories, has approximately 90,000 miles of marine tidal shoreline comprising a wide range of ecologically important, unique, and often highly productive ecosystems. Coastal environments can include coral reefs, seagrass meadows, barrier islands, maritime forests, beaches and rocky shores, tidal flats, and wetlands such as salt or freshwater marshes and mangroves. The most highly productive coastal environments are estuaries, which are the connection between the ocean and inland freshwater systems. Hundreds of estuaries indent the U.S. coast where they provide critical habitat for much of the fish and shellfish production and coastal wildlife diversity of the nation. For example, 77 percent of U.S. commercial fish landings comprise estuarine-dependent species. The greatest human pressures, however, are exerted along and within estuaries.

NOAA estimates that approximately half the U.S. population live on or near the coast. That’s approximately 340 people per square mile, more than four times the U.S. average. In addition to population pressures, these areas face extraordinary problems related to overharvesting and recreation, while thousands of oil spills, ship groundings, toxic chemical releases and other disasters also affect marine habitats each year. These existing risks are expected to increase. Consequently, the importance of restoring coastal and marine habitats cannot be overstated. Habitat restoration provides the tools to replace and repair habitats that have been degraded and lost due to human activities and natural disasters.

One of the major subsets to environmental restoration is “damage assessment remediation, restoration.” This subset requires particpation from companies nationwide who provide expertise, equipment and services to assist in these quick-response programs.

The NOAA Restoration Center is a part of the Damage Assessment, Remediation, and Restoration Program (DARRP) and, as such, participates in pursuing natural resource damage claims. Through this program, NOAA collaborates with other agencies, industry and citizens to protect and restore coastal and marine resources threatened or injured by oil spills, releases of hazardous substances and vessel groundings.

The DARRP is a cross-cutting program that includes the Restoration Center, the Assessment and Restoration Division (housed in NOAA's National Ocean Service) and elements from the Office of General Counsel. Federal statutes authorize NOAA to assess and claim damages for injuries to marine resources in coastal settings as a result of discharges of oil or hazardous substances and environmental disturbances. The Restoration Center uses recovered damages to restore, replace, or acquire the equivalent of injured resources.

The DARRP has collected almost $500 million in damages through numerous cases, and has initiated restoration efforts at more than 500 sites around the country. It is clear there needs to be a national and even global infrastructure and expertise base for remediation and restoration of our precious resources. For example, continuing research in growing corals and relocating seagrasses will be key in these efforts.

Source: ocean-news.com (editorial)