Day break, and the work to harvest quahogs for the spawner sanctuary begins.

An oil rig blew out spewing crude oil into Timbalier Bay. The rig is surrounded a boom to contain the oil.

An oil rig blew out spewing crude oil into Timbalier Bay. The rig is surrounded a boom to contain the oil.

East Timbalier Island from the gulf side looking North toward the Bay. This image shows the Greenhill Oil Company facility.

The Greenhill Oil Company headquarters.

East Timbalier Island, oiled Spartina alterniflora salt marsh.

Oiled marsh plants, Salicornia, mangroves and Spartina alterniflora.

Oiled water.

This images shows the big gaps in East Timbalier Island left after Hurricane Andrew passed through the area on August 6, 1992. The oil blowout occurred almost one month post hurricane.

Workers measure the extent of oiling after the blowout.

East Timbalier Island, booms are placed to contain oil. The island was seriously impacted by Hurricane Andrew, after the oil blow out restoration plans included creating marshes near the breaks in the island to stabilize the island.

Looking north toward the Bay, Greenhill Production facility to the right.

Oiled marsh after the blowout.

Oil residue in the marsh.

The Bay side of East Timbalier Island, oiled sediments after the blowout.

An image showing dredge material that was added to the area in front of the production facility. This area had the largest contiguous remaining marsh after hurricane Andrew passed through. The restoration project conducted with the oil blow out settlement funds created approximately 22 acres of marsh to help stabilize East Timbalier Island.

A site visit by Terry McTigue of NOAA.

Post restoration, sediment is placed and then grass is planted in rows to begin colonization.

Unloading Spartina alterniflora plants to begin restoration.

Restoration work underway.

Restoration work underway.

Restoration in progress.

Post restoration, a site visit.

Post restoration, a site visit.

Post restoration, a site visit.

The restoration work consisted of creating "cells" and then filling the cells with dredge materials that would then be planted to stabilize the sediments.

The restoration project underway.

The pipeline running across the image is the dredge pipe that pumped sediment into the cells containing the dredge material. A berm is being built to hold sediments in place.

The pipeline running across the image is the dredge pipe that pumped sediment into the cells containing the dredge material. A berm is being built to hold sediments in place.

On the gulf side looking back at the Greenhill Production Facility, standing on newly deposited sediment that will provide the substrate to build the marsh.

The constructed marsh platform ready for planting.

The constructed marsh platform ready for planting.

The constructed marsh platform needed to be built to a specific elevation to support the marsh.

Planted sprigs of Spartina alterniflora

Planted sprigs of Spartina alterniflora

A post-planting inspection tour by the Trustees.

New Spartina alterniflora shoots out of a newly planted plug.

A row of newly planted Spartina alterniflora at the restoration site.

The early stages of the newly planted restoration area, Trustees inspect.

The early stages of the newly planted restoration area.

The second season plants.

The second season plants.

Planted plugs of Spartina alterniflora, early in the planting process.

1st season planting.

Plants after the first growing season now into the second growing season.

Spartina alterniflora was planted at several cell sites around East Timbalier Island. This cell was not very successful. The Spartina did not take well as the platform substrate was determined to be too high for Spartina to flourish.

This image shows the dredging process. Cells are being filled with dredge materials.

This image shows East Timbalier post hurricane Andrew, pre restoration.

This image shows the sheen that occurred after the blow out. It runs through the boom and out the cuts in the island created by Hurricane Andrew.

During the spill at the well blow out site, oil on the Gulf side of East Timbalier Island.