15 Years Later: 5 Wins for Wildlife & Habitat After the Deepwater Horizon Spill

This is the second of a three-part blog series highlighting 15 key takeaways about the Gulf's recovery since the Deepwater Horizon oil spill 15 years ago-its wildlife, restoration successes, and the urgent need for continued investment for environmental and economic success. Read the first blog in the series here.

While the spill was tragic for the Gulf, these five stories prove that strategic restoration can work and that the fines collected from BP following the spill have been smartly invested.

Large-Scale Barataria Marsh Creation, Louisiana

Marsh buggy on new land that is a part of the Large-Scale Barataria Marsh Creation project. Credit: NWF

The wetlands of the Barataria Basin were the most heavily impacted by the oil spill. The oil killed vegetation along wetland edges, leading to the loss of important wetland habitat. This project was completed in 2022, using sediment dredged from the Mississippi River to build and restore nearly 1,200 acres of marsh.

This restored habitat provides nursery, breeding, and feeding grounds to a variety of birds, fish, shellfish, and mammals in the basin and helps protect nearby coastal communities from storm surge.

Galveston Bay Oyster Reef Restoration, Texas

Coastal Texas oyster reefs provide habitat for forage fish and shellfish. Credit: TPWD

This project is currently in planning and will use oil spill money to address injuries to oysters by restoring around 50 acres of oyster reef in Galveston Bay. A network of reef complexes will be built and serve as a sanctuary for natural oyster recruitment and as a local broodstock source.

These oyster reefs will also provide habitat for forage fish and other shellfish, enhance water quality in Galveston Bay and provide benefits to recreational fishing and the commercial oyster fishery.

Apalachicola Bay Recovery, Florida

Bags of oyster shells create reefs and help to stop erosion and wave action on Florida's coast. Credit: Kayla Drayton

Apalachicola Bay is a biologically diverse ecosystem. The area supports many freshwater fish species, amphibians and reptiles and is a major forage area for bird species that migrate across the Gulf.

Restoration efforts in the bay have improved oyster populations in the basin by placing material over 90 acres for native oyster larvae to attach to and colonize. Another restoration project addresses damage to shallow seagrass beds by restoring boat propeller-scarred areas in nearby St. Joseph Bay Aquatic Preserve in Gulf County, Florida.

These seagrass beds provide nursery, forage, and shelter habitat for a variety of commercial and recreational fish species, serve as important food sources for manatees and sea turtles, and improve water clarity and quality. Seagrass restoration and oyster reef projects are bringing back critical habitat for marine life and stabilizing fisheries.

North Breton Island Restoration, Louisiana

Louisiana's barrier islands were heavily impacted by the oil spill, along with the brown pelicans, skimmers, and terns that rely on the habitat these islands provide. North Breton Island is part of a chain of islands that make up the Breton National Wildlife Refuge, which was established in 1904 by President Theodore Roosevelt.

These remote barrier islands provide breeding habitat for wading birds, seabirds, and wintering shorebirds and waterfowl, including the federally threatened piping plover and red knot. Restoration of more than 400 acres of beach, dune, and marsh habitat on North Breton Island was completed in 2022.

North Breton Island. Credit: NOAA

Restoring Habitats along Mississippi and Alabama Coasts

Several projects have been implemented along the coasts of Mississippi and Alabama to address injuries from the oil spill. Oyster cultch material has been used to create living shorelines in several areas, including Heron Bay, Bay of St. Louis, Bon Secour Bay, and Portersville Bay.

These living shorelines dampen waves and can reduce shoreline erosion of nearby beaches and coastal wetlands and provide valuable habitat to oysters, fish, crabs, and birds. These projects prove that restoration works-now we need to secure long-term funding.

Living shorelines help protect unique coastal ecosystems like Bon Secour, AL. Credit: Alisha Renfro

Wins for wildlife and habitat are only possible because of your support. Apalachicola Bay is facing new threats and needs your help today!