| Sumario: | "In this report, the committee 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. The committee considered project-level monitoring (monitoring associated with site-specific or localized restoration activities), monitoring to evaluate restoration outcomes for highly mobile species (e.g., marine mammals, turtles, and birds) over large spatial areas such as watersheds and regional assessments, and monitoring to support larger spatial scale programmatic evaluations across multiple states and sub-regions. Although the release of oil during the DWH spill was mostly offshore in deep water, most restoration activities are along the coast. Because of the breadth and diversity of these coastal habitats and associated species subject to restoration or restoration plans, the committee could not address best practices for monitoring and assessment of all possible Gulf habitats, species, and ecosystems. Instead, Part II of this report provides specific guidance for a subset of restoration monitoring efforts, including oyster reefs, tidal wetlands, and seagrass habitats, as well as wide ranging birds, sea turtles, and marine mammals. Effective monitoring practices for these habitats and species are addressed in detail, but it is important to note that these sections only represent a subset of the many habitats and species that are in need of restoration attention within the Gulf of Mexico"--Summary.
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