Restoration Science

All conservation work at NOAA is grounded in science. Restoration science draws on powerful insights from biology, hydrology, oceanography, and the social sciences to create new and effective approaches for protecting coastal biodiversity.

By studying the ways our coastal ecosystems function in healthy and degraded areas, NOAA gains a better understanding of habitat structure and function. It is the cornerstone to making sure we continue to develop sound, efficient and cost-effective restoration techniques in the short and long term.

Setting the Standard for Restoration Science

NOAA and the larger coastal restoration community rely on research and data to set goals for restoration projects and to evaluate their effectiveness. In addition, monitoring the recovery process at a restoration site allows us to identify factors crucial to successful restoration, enabling project managers to adjust methods and apply lessons learned to future sites.

NOAA, together with its partners in academia and throughout the conservation community, applies these lessons when developing monitoring methods and restoration techniques. A better understanding of project success or failure ensures that restored areas function as integrated parts of the ecosystem in the long term.

Restoration Science at a Glance

Using restoration science, NOAA:

• Conducts and funds research on ecosystem structure and functions.
• Studies the recovery process of injured and restored habitat.
• Develops and refines restoration methods and monitoring protocols.
• Transfers technology to other restoration practitioners.