Strategic approach for bird restoration evaluation - FY 2025 annual report

The Deepwater Horizon oil spill (hereafter “spill”) resulted in an estimated loss of 56,141–102,399 birds across 93 species along the U.S. Gulf of America coast. Injured species included those that nest locally along the northern Gulf of America coast as well as species that nest hundreds or thousands of kilometers outside of the region. The breadth of injury and the expansive geographic distribution of birds affected by the spill necessitated implementation of numerous and diverse projects designed to restore the injury of all affected bird species. As of September 2025, the Trustees, who are authorized to act on behalf of the public to restore injuries caused by the spill, have approved 39 projects, amounting to >60% of the total funds specifically allocated for bird restoration (i.e., Bird Restoration Type funding).

Strategic allocation of remaining Bird Restoration Type funding is necessary to ensure that restoration of all injured bird species is achieved. An essential component of planning for future restoration is understanding the progress made from restoration actions conducted to date. The purpose of this project is to develop a plan that assesses the current restoration progress for each of the 93 injured species based on available data. The restoration assessment plan will be derived from a data gap analysis that identifies species for which data may be insufficient to assess restoration progress. This project will also allow Trustees to review and update the indicators of restoration success developed for injured bird species (e.g., population counts, reproduction metrics) that are used to evaluate restoration progress.