The RESTORE Act (33 U.S. Code § 1321) directs 80% of Clean Water Act penalties from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill (likely to be in the billions) to Gulf of Mexico restoration. Gulf partners profess a common goal of “restoring and protecting the natural resources…and economy of the Gulf Coast region”(Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council 2013:2), yet specific and explicit objectives that quantify what it means to actually achieve this goal remain undefined. Despite the presence of numerous conservation partnerships along the Gulf of Mexico, there is concern that this unprecedented opportunity will lack a coordinated response (NOAA RESTORE Act Science Program 2013). The success of the RESTORE Act will hinge on a common vision for conservation framed by explicit biological objectives for specific conservation targets – particularly for fish and wildlife. This project was co-funded by the Gulf Coast Prairie, Gulf Coastal Plains and Ozarks, and Peninsular Florida Landscape Conservation Cooperatives and the South Central and Southeast Climate Adaptation Science Centers. An alternate reference to this project can be found here: https://www.sciencebase.gov/catalog/item/5813ac7de4b0d63fd467bb68
