The Open Ocean Trustees are pleased to announce a public webinar on March 26, 2024, which will discuss restoration efforts underway for the Mesophotic and Deep Benthic Communities projects.
Four interconnected projects were approved in the second Open Ocean restoration plan to advance our ability to manage, protect, and restore these important Gulf of Mexico deep-sea ecosystems that were injured by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The projects began a 5-year implementation phase in 2022.
The projects completed the second year of at-sea expeditions in 2023 and will begin the 2024 at-sea activities soon. The 2023 field activities included the first direct outplanting of corals to restore communities damaged by the spill, and expeditions to map and identify important areas of the seafloor.
The webinar is open to everyone and we encourage your attendance and participation.
The webinar will begin at 11:00 a.m. CT with updates about the outcomes of activities to date, as well as activities planned and already underway in 2024. We’ll also provide an opportunity to ask questions after the updates are presented.
• Date: March 26, 2024
• Time: 11:00 – 12:30 p.m. CT (12:00 noon - 1:30 p.m. ET)
• Please register for the webinar at: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7546814054151090012
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with information on how to join. We recommend performing a GoToWebinar system check before attending. Following the webinar, we will post the webinar presentation slides and a recording on the Gulf Spill Restoration website, available through the Open Ocean Restoration Area page. Additionally, all registrants will receive an email with information on how to access a recording of the webinar.
More Information
- Habitat Assessment and Evaluation Project
- Active Management and Protection Project
- Mapping, Ground-truthing, and Predictive Habitat Modeling Project
- Coral Propagation Technique Development Project
Please contact us at gulfspill.restoration@noaa.gov by March 18 if you need accommodations for audio or visual accessibility.
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