Evaluating the U.S. Estuary Restoration Act to inform restoration policy implementation: A case study focusing on oyster reef projects

Recent research revealing the extent of marine habitat degradation has ignited a surge of restoration efforts globally. Restoration of estuarine habitats became a priority in the United States with the Estuary Restoration Act (ERA) of 2000. In the present study, a synthesis of data from the National Estuaries Restoration Inventory (NERI), developed in response to ERA requirements to track and disseminate project data, was conducted in order to analyze U.S. oyster reef restoration efforts. From 2000-2011, more than $45 million was invested in 187 projects to restore over 150 ha of oyster reef habitat, with projects most heavily concentrated in the Chesapeake Bay area and Florida Gulf coast. Trends over time indicate that projects are being implemented at larger scales, increasing from an average of less than 0.4 ha in 2000 to over 1 ha on average in 2011. Costs per unit decreased from an average of more than $2.1 million per ha in 2000 to just over $500,000 per ha in 2011. However, our analysis confirms one major problem hindering the field of restoration ecology: a lack of monitoring data or project-specific assessments of success. Habitat restoration has become an increasingly common effort in the policy sector, and gaps identified through this analysis can help inform future policy making and implementation. Better facilitation of data dissemination and further research on economies of scale in restoration projects are two key areas for improvement. As the field of restoration ecology continues to grow, it is critical that both new and current restoration practitioners, scientists, and decision-makers are able to learn from past projects and apply that collective knowledge to future restoration efforts.