TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Contaminated Marine Sediments: Assessment and Remediation SN - DO - 10.17226/1412 PY - 1989 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/1412/contaminated-marine-sediments-assessment-and-remediation PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Earth Sciences AB - The pervasive, widespread problem of contaminated marine sediments is an environmental issue of national importance, arising from decades of intentionally and unintentionally using coastal waters for waste disposal. This book examines the extent and significance of the problem, reviews clean-up and remediation technologies, assesses alternative management strategies, identifies research and development needs, and presents the committee's major findings and recommendations. Five case studies examine different ways in which a variety of sediment contamination problems are being handled. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Report of the Committee on Paleoecology, 1936-1937; Presented at the Annual Meeting of the Division of Geology and Geography, National Research Council, May 1, 1937 DO - 10.17226/18657 PY - 1937 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/18657/report-of-the-committee-on-paleoecology-1936-1937-presented-at-the-annual-meeting-of-the-division-of-geology-and-geography-national-research-council-may-1-1937 PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - KW - Earth Sciences ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Explosive Volcanism: Inception, Evolution, and Hazards DO - 10.17226/18602 PY - 1984 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/18602/explosive-volcanism-inception-evolution-and-hazards PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - KW - Earth Sciences ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Science for Decisionmaking: Coastal and Marine Geology at the U.S. Geological Survey SN - DO - 10.17226/9665 PY - 1999 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/9665/science-for-decisionmaking-coastal-and-marine-geology-at-the-us PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Earth Sciences AB - The coastlines of the United States are beautiful places to live, work and play. But, they are also very fragile areas whose ecosystems are vulnerable to mismanagement. There are many complex issues facing the ocean science community at the federal, state and local levels—this report reflects the conclusions and recommendations of the National Academies drawing on discussions with USGS as well as input from potential users, clients and collaborators of the Coastal and Marine Geology Program. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Tackling Marine Debris in the 21st Century SN - DO - 10.17226/12486 PY - 2009 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/12486/tackling-marine-debris-in-the-21st-century PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Earth Sciences AB - Marine debris from ships and other ocean-based sources-including trash and lost fishing gear-contributes to the spoiling of beaches, fouling of surface waters and the seafloor, and harm to marine animals, among other effects. Unfortunately, international conventions and domestic laws intended to control marine debris have not been successful, in part because the laws, as written, provide little incentive to change behavior. This book identifies ways to reduce waste, improve waste disposal at ports, and strengthen the regulatory framework toward a goal of zero waste discharge into the marine environment. Progress will depend on a commitment to sustained funding and appropriate institutional support. The Interagency Marine Debris Coordinating Committee should, through planning and prioritization, target research to understand the sources, fates, and impacts of marine debris. It should support the establishment of scalable and statistically rigorous protocols that allow monitoring at a variety of temporal and spatial scales. These protocols should contain evaluative metrics that allow assessment of progress in marine debris mitigation. The United States, through leadership in the international arena, should provide technical assistance and support for the establishment of additional monitoring and research programs worldwide. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Reducing Coastal Risk on the East and Gulf Coasts SN - DO - 10.17226/18811 PY - 2014 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/18811/reducing-coastal-risk-on-the-east-and-gulf-coasts PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Earth Sciences AB - Hurricane- and coastal-storm-related losses have increased substantially during the past century, largely due to increases in population and development in the most susceptible coastal areas. Climate change poses additional threats to coastal communities from sea level rise and possible increases in strength of the largest hurricanes. Several large cities in the United States have extensive assets at risk to coastal storms, along with countless smaller cities and developed areas. The devastation from Superstorm Sandy has heightened the nation's awareness of these vulnerabilities. What can we do to better prepare for and respond to the increasing risks of loss? Reducing Coastal Risk on the East and Gulf Coasts reviews the coastal risk-reduction strategies and levels of protection that have been used along the United States East and Gulf Coasts to reduce the impacts of coastal flooding associated with storm surges. This report evaluates their effectiveness in terms of economic return, protection of life safety, and minimization of environmental effects. According to this report, the vast majority of the funding for coastal risk-related issues is provided only after a disaster occurs. This report calls for the development of a national vision for coastal risk management that includes a long-term view, regional solutions, and recognition of the full array of economic, social, environmental, and life-safety benefits that come from risk reduction efforts. To support this vision, Reducing Coastal Risk states that a national coastal risk assessment is needed to identify those areas with the greatest risks that are high priorities for risk reduction efforts. The report discusses the implications of expanding the extent and levels of coastal storm surge protection in terms of operation and maintenance costs and the availability of resources. Reducing Coastal Risk recommends that benefit-cost analysis, constrained by acceptable risk criteria and other important environmental and social factors, be used as a framework for evaluating national investments in coastal risk reduction. The recommendations of this report will assist engineers, planners and policy makers at national, regional, state, and local levels to move from a nation that is primarily reactive to coastal disasters to one that invests wisely in coastal risk reduction and builds resilience among coastal communities. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Review of the U.S. Geological Survey's Volcano Hazards Program SN - DO - 10.17226/9884 PY - 2000 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/9884/review-of-the-us-geological-surveys-volcano-hazards-program PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Earth Sciences AB - The United States has more than 65 active or potentially active volcanoes, more than those of all other countries except Indonesia and Japan. During the twentieth century, volcanic eruptions in Alaska, California, Hawaii, and Washington devastated thousands of square kilometers of land, caused substantial economic and societal disruption and, in some instances, loss of life. More than 50 U.S. volcanoes have erupted one or more times in the past 200 years. Recently, there have been major advances in our understanding of how volcanoes work. This is partly because of detailed studies of eruptions and partly because of advances in global communications, remote sensing, and interdisciplinary cooperation. The mission of the Volcano Hazards Program (VHP) is to "lessen the harmful impacts of volcanic activity by monitoring active and potentially active volcanoes, assessing their hazards, responding to volcanic crises, and conducting research on how volcanoes work." To provide a fresh perspective and guidance to the VHP about the future of the program, the Geologic and Water Resources Divisions of the United States Geological Survey (USGS) requested that the National Research Council conduct an independent and comprehensive review. Review of the U. S. Geological Survey's Volcano Hazards Program is organized around the three components of hazards mitigation. Chapter 2 deals with research and hazard assessment. Chapter 3 covers monitoring and Chapter 4 discusses crisis response and other forms of outreach conducted by the VHP. Chapter 5 describes various cross-cutting programmatic issues such as staffing levels, data formats, and partnerships. Chapter 6 offers a vision for the future of the Volcano Hazards Program, and Chapter 7 summarizes the conclusions and recommendations of the preceding chapters. Throughout the report, major conclusions are printed in italics and recommendations in bold type. The committee has written this report for several different audiences. The main audience is upper management within the USGS and the VHP. However, the committee believes that scientists within the VHP will also find the report valuable. The report is written in such a manner as to be useful to congressional staff as well. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Living on an Active Earth: Perspectives on Earthquake Science SN - DO - 10.17226/10493 PY - 2003 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/10493/living-on-an-active-earth-perspectives-on-earthquake-science PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Earth Sciences AB - The destructive force of earthquakes has stimulated human inquiry since ancient times, yet the scientific study of earthquakes is a surprisingly recent endeavor. Instrumental recordings of earthquakes were not made until the second half of the 19th century, and the primary mechanism for generating seismic waves was not identified until the beginning of the 20th century. From this recent start, a range of laboratory, field, and theoretical investigations have developed into a vigorous new discipline: the science of earthquakes. As a basic science, it provides a comprehensive understanding of earthquake behavior and related phenomena in the Earth and other terrestrial planets. As an applied science, it provides a knowledge base of great practical value for a global society whose infrastructure is built on the Earth's active crust. This book describes the growth and origins of earthquake science and identifies research and data collection efforts that will strengthen the scientific and social contributions of this exciting new discipline. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Improved Seismic Monitoring - Improved Decision-Making: Assessing the Value of Reduced Uncertainty SN - DO - 10.17226/11327 PY - 2006 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/11327/improved-seismic-monitoring-improved-decision-making-assessing-the-value-of PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Earth Sciences AB - Improved Seismic Monitoring—Improved Decision-Making, describes and assesses the varied economic benefits potentially derived from modernizing and expanding seismic monitoring activities in the United States. These benefits include more effective loss avoidance regulations and strategies, improved understanding of earthquake processes, better engineering design, more effective hazard mitigation strategies, and improved emergency response and recovery. The economic principles that must be applied to determine potential benefits are reviewed and the report concludes that although there is insufficient information available at present to fully quantify all the potential benefits, the annual dollar costs for improved seismic monitoring are in the tens of millions and the potential annual dollar benefits are in the hundreds of millions. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine TI - Review of the Marine Recreational Information Program SN - DO - 10.17226/24640 PY - 2017 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/24640/review-of-the-marine-recreational-information-program PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Earth Sciences AB - The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is responsible for collecting information on marine recreational angling. It does so principally through the Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP), a survey program that consists of an in-person survey at fishing access sites and a mail survey, in addition to other complementary or alternative surveys. Data collected from anglers through MRIP supply fisheries managers with essential information for assessing fish stocks. In 2006, the National Research Council provided an evaluation of MRIP's predecessor, the Marine Recreational Fisheries Statistics Survey (MRFSS). That review, Review of Recreational Fisheries Survey Methods, presented conclusions and recommendations in six categories: sampling issues; statistical estimation issues; human dimensions; program management and support; communication and outreach; and general recommendations. After spending nearly a decade addressing the recommendations, NMFS requested another evaluation of its modified survey program (MRIP). This report, the result of that evaluation, serves as a 10-year progress report. It recognizes the progress that NMFS has made, including major improvements in the statistical soundness of its survey designs, and also highlights some remaining challenges and provides recommendations for addressing them. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine TI - Cross-Cutting Themes for U.S. Contributions to the UN Ocean Decade SN - DO - 10.17226/26363 PY - 2022 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/26363/cross-cutting-themes-for-us-contributions-to-the-un-ocean-decade PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Earth Sciences AB - The ocean is central to the health of the planet and the well-being of human societies, but ongoing depletion, disruption, and pollution threaten its future. The United Nations proclaimed 2021-2030 the Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (UN Ocean Decade) in recognition of the need to sustainably manage the Ocean. U.S. participation in the Decade, guided by the U.S. National Committee, included a call for "Ocean-Shots" - ambitious, transformational research concepts that draw from multiple disciplines. More than 100 Ocean-Shots were submitted. Conducted at the request of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and sponsored by NASA, this report identifies exciting themes from the Ocean-Shots that will galvanize action and inspire transformative, cross-disciplinary, and multi-generational participation in the Decade. Two foundational themes undergird how to go about science: An Inclusive and Equitable Ocean calls for the involvement of a diverse and representative ocean community, and An Ocean of Data recognizes the shift toward open access for data that is collected. Four topical themes - The Ocean Revealed, The Restored and Sustainable Ocean, Ocean Solutions for Climate Resilience, and Healthy Urban Sea - represent promising areas for research investments that are consistent both with the UN Ocean Decade Outcomes and U.S. ocean priorities. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council A2 - Lance F. Bosart A2 - William A. Sprigg TI - The Meteorological Buoy and Coastal Marine Automated Network for the United States SN - DO - 10.17226/6108 PY - 1998 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/6108/the-meteorological-buoy-and-coastal-marine-automated-network-for-the-united-states PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Earth Sciences ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine TI - State of the Art and Practice in the Assessment of Earthquake-Induced Soil Liquefaction and Its Consequences SN - DO - 10.17226/23474 PY - 2021 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/23474/state-of-the-art-and-practice-in-the-assessment-of-earthquake-induced-soil-liquefaction-and-its-consequences PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Earth Sciences AB - Earthquake-induced soil liquefaction (liquefaction) is a leading cause of earthquake damage worldwide. Liquefaction is often described in the literature as the phenomena of seismic generation of excess porewater pressures and consequent softening of granular soils. Many regions in the United States have been witness to liquefaction and its consequences, not just those in the west that people associate with earthquake hazards. Past damage and destruction caused by liquefaction underline the importance of accurate assessments of where liquefaction is likely and of what the consequences of liquefaction may be. Such assessments are needed to protect life and safety and to mitigate economic, environmental, and societal impacts of liquefaction in a cost-effective manner. Assessment methods exist, but methods to assess the potential for liquefaction triggering are more mature than are those to predict liquefaction consequences, and the earthquake engineering community wrestles with the differences among the various assessment methods for both liquefaction triggering and consequences. State of the Art and Practice in the Assessment of Earthquake-Induced Soil Liquefaction and Its Consequences evaluates these various methods, focusing on those developed within the past 20 years, and recommends strategies to minimize uncertainties in the short term and to develop improved methods to assess liquefaction and its consequences in the long term. This report represents a first attempt within the geotechnical earthquake engineering community to consider, in such a manner, the various methods to assess liquefaction consequences. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Partnerships for Reducing Landslide Risk: Assessment of the National Landslide Hazards Mitigation Strategy SN - DO - 10.17226/10946 PY - 2004 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/10946/partnerships-for-reducing-landslide-risk-assessment-of-the-national-landslide PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Earth Sciences AB - Landslides occur in all geographic regions of the nation in response to a wide range of conditions and triggering processes that include storms, earthquakes, and human activities. Landslides in the United States result in an estimated average of 25 to 50 deaths annually and cost $1 to 3 billion per year. In addition to direct losses, landslides also cause significant environmental damage and societal disruption. Partnerships for Reducing Landslide Risk reviews the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS)National Landslide Hazards Mitigation Strategy, which was created in response to a congressional directive for a national approach to reducing losses from landslides. Components of the strategy include basic research activities, improved public policy measures, and enhanced mitigation of landslides. This report commends the USGS for creating a national approach based on partnerships with federal, state, local, and non-governmental entities, and finds that the plan components are the essential elements of a national strategy. Partnerships for Reducing Landslide Risk recommends that the plan should promote the use of risk analysis techniques, and should play a vital role in evaluating methods, setting standards, and advancing procedures and guidelines for landslide hazard maps and assessments. This report suggests that substantially increased funding will be required to implement a national landslide mitigation program, and that as part of a 10-year program the funding mix should transition from research and guideline development to partnership-based implementation of loss reduction measures. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Future Roles and Opportunities for the U.S. Geological Survey SN - DO - 10.17226/10069 PY - 2001 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/10069/future-roles-and-opportunities-for-the-us-geological-survey PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Earth Sciences AB - The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has adapted to the changing political, economic, and technical state of the nation and the world since it was established in the late nineteenth century. Over a period of more than 120 years, the USGS has evolved from a small group of scientists who collected data and provided guidance on how to parcel, manage, and use the public lands of the West to an agency comprised of thousands of scientists who conduct research and assessment activities on complex scientific issues at scales ranging from the local to the global. The USGS will no doubt continue to evolve and adapt to meet changing national needs. In fact, the recent integration of the National Biological Service and parts of the U.S. Bureau of Mines into the USGS presents an ideal opportunity to examine the agency's vision, mission, role, and scientific opportunities as the organization begins the early years of the twenty-first century. The USGS recognized the need to adapt to changing demands when it asked the National Research Council (NRC) to undertake this study. The NRC formed a multidisciplinary committee of 16 experts to address issues related to the future roles, challenges, and opportunities of the agency. ER - TY - BOOK TI - Striking a Balance: Improving Stewardship of Marine Areas SN - DO - 10.17226/5797 PY - 1997 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/5797/striking-a-balance-improving-stewardship-of-marine-areas PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Earth Sciences AB - America's ocean and coastal regions—which provide wildlife habitat, commercial fish stocks, mineral reserves, travelways, recreation, and more—are under increasing pressure as more and more people exploit marine resources, leaving environmental damage in their wake. Striking a Balance responds to the urgency for sound decision-making in the management of marine resources. An expert committee proposes principles, goals, and a framework for marine area governance, including new governance structures at the federal and regional levels and improvements for existing governing and regulatory systems. Recommendations include using tools—such as zoning and liability—for resolving conflicts between users, controlling access to marine resources, and enforcing regulations. The book describes the wide-ranging nature and value of marine resources, evaluates their current management, and explores three in-depth case studies. It also touches on the implications of newer, more flexible, less hierarchical approaches to organizational behavior. Striking a Balance will be of interest to everyone concerned about marine resource management, especially federal and state marine managers and regulators, marine scientists and policy analysts, companies and organizations with interests in marine and coastal resources, and advocacy groups. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - From Monsoons to Microbes: Understanding the Ocean's Role in Human Health SN - DO - 10.17226/6368 PY - 1999 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/6368/from-monsoons-to-microbes-understanding-the-oceans-role-in-human PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Earth Sciences AB - What can sharks teach us about our immune system? What can horseshoe crabs show us about eyesight? The more we learn about the ocean, the more we realize how critical these vast bodies of water are to our health and well-being. Sometimes the ocean helps us, as when a marine organism yields a new medical treatment. At other times, the ocean poses the threat of coastal storm surges or toxic algal blooms. From Monsoons to Microbes offers a deeper look into the oceans that surround us, often nurturing yet sometimes harming humankind. This book explores the links among physical oceanography, public health, epidemiology, marine biology, and medicine in understanding what the ocean has to offer. It will help readers grasp such important points as: How the ocean's sweeping physical processes create long-term phenomena such as El Nino and short-term disastrous events such as tsunamis—including what communities can do to prepare. What medicines and nutritional products have come from the ocean and what the prospects are for more such discoveries. How estuaries work—where salt and fresh water meet—and what can go wrong, as in the 7,000 square mile "dead zone" at the out-flow of the Mississippi River. How the growing demand for seafood and the expansion of ocean-going transport has increased our exposure to infectious agents—and how these agents can be tracked down and fought. Why "red tides" of toxic algae suddenly appear in previously unaffected coastal areas, and what happens when algal toxins find their way into our food supply or the air we breathe. The book recommends ways we can implement exciting new technologies to monitor the physics, chemistry, and biology of the ocean to recognize change as it happens. From the impact of worldwide atmospheric warming to the significance of exotic bacteria from submarine hydrothermal vents, the ocean has many depths left to explore. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Bioavailability of Contaminants in Soils and Sediments: Processes, Tools, and Applications SN - DO - 10.17226/10523 PY - 2003 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/10523/bioavailability-of-contaminants-in-soils-and-sediments-processes-tools-and PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Earth Sciences AB - Bioavailability refers to the extent to which humans and ecological receptors are exposed to contaminants in soil or sediment. The concept of bioavailability has recently piqued the interest of the hazardous waste industry as an important consideration in deciding how much waste to clean up. The rationale is that if contaminants in soil and sediment are not bioavailable, then more contaminant mass can be left in place without creating additional risk. A new NRC report notes that the potential for the consideration of bioavailability to influence decision-making is greatest where certain chemical, environmental, and regulatory factors align. The current use of bioavailability in risk assessment and hazardous waste cleanup regulations is demystified, and acceptable tools and models for bioavailability assessment are discussed and ranked according to seven criteria. Finally, the intimate link between bioavailability and bioremediation is explored. The report concludes with suggestions for moving bioavailability forward in the regulatory arena for both soil and sediment cleanup. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Assessing the Requirements for Sustained Ocean Color Research and Operations SN - DO - 10.17226/13127 PY - 2011 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/13127/assessing-the-requirements-for-sustained-ocean-color-research-and-operations PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Earth Sciences AB - The ocean is a fundamental component of the earth's biosphere. It covers roughly 70 percent of Earth's surface and plays a pivotal role in the cycling of life's building blocks, such as nitrogen, carbon, oxygen, and sulfur. The ocean also contributes to regulating the climate system. Most of the primary producers in the ocean comprise of microscopic plants and some bacteria; and these photosynthetic organisms (phytoplankton) form the base of the ocean's food web. Monitoring the health of the ocean and its productivity is critical to understanding and managing the ocean's essential functions and living resources. Because the ocean is so vast and difficult for humans to explore, satellite remote sensing of ocean color is currently the only way to observe and monitor the biological state of the surface ocean globally on time scales of days to decades. Ocean color measurements reveal a wealth of ecologically important characteristics including: chlorophyll concentration, the rate of phytoplankton photosynthesis, sediment transport, dispersion of pollutants, and responses of oceanic biota to long-term climate changes. Continuity of satellite ocean color data and associated climate research products are presently at significant risk for the U.S. ocean color community. Assessing Requirements for Sustained Ocean Color Research and Operations aims to identify the ocean color data needs for a broad range of end users, develop a consensus for the minimum requirements, and outline options to meet these needs on a sustained basis. The report assesses lessons learned in global ocean color remote sensing from the SeaWiFS/MODIS era to guide planning for acquisition of future global ocean color radiance data to support U.S. research and operational needs. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine TI - Effective Monitoring to Evaluate Ecological Restoration in the Gulf of Mexico SN - DO - 10.17226/23476 PY - 2017 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/23476/effective-monitoring-to-evaluate-ecological-restoration-in-the-gulf-of-mexico PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Earth Sciences AB - Gulf Coast communities and natural resources suffered extensive direct and indirect damage as a result of the largest accidental oil spill in US history, referred to as the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill. Notably, natural resources affected by this major spill include wetlands, coastal beaches and barrier islands, coastal and marine wildlife, seagrass beds, oyster reefs, commercial fisheries, deep benthos, and coral reefs, among other habitats and species. Losses include an estimated 20% reduction in commercial fishery landings across the Gulf of Mexico and damage to as much as 1,100 linear miles of coastal salt marsh wetlands. This historic spill is being followed by a restoration effort unparalleled in complexity and magnitude in U.S. history. Legal settlements in the wake of DWH led to the establishment of a set of programs tasked with administering and supporting DWH-related restoration in the Gulf of Mexico. In order to ensure that restoration goals are met and money is well spent, restoration monitoring and evaluation should be an integral part of those programs. However, evaluations of past restoration efforts have shown that monitoring is often inadequate or even absent. Effective Monitoring to Evaluate Ecological Restoration in the Gulf of Mexico identifies best practices for monitoring and evaluating restoration activities to improve the performance of restoration programs and increase the effectiveness and longevity of restoration projects. This report provides general guidance for restoration monitoring, assessment, and synthesis that can be applied to most ecological restoration supported by these major programs given their similarities in restoration goals. It also offers specific guidance for a subset of habitats and taxa to be restored in the Gulf including oyster reefs, tidal wetlands, and seagrass habitats, as well as a variety of birds, sea turtles, and marine mammals. ER -