Case Studies
The following case studies are examples of cooperative conservation at its best. In each project, NOAA worked closely with the affected communities to help overcome environmental challenges. Because of their success, they will be featured at breakout sessions at the Conference on Cooperative Conservation.
Open Rivers Initiative - Over 2 million small dams block the life-preserving passage of migratory fish in U.S. streams and rivers. Dams provide numerous benefits for modern society, but they also contribute to the overall degradation occurring in estuaries, deltas, and river environments. With a life expectancy of about 50 years, scores of dams have outlived their usefulness--dilapidated and decrepit they have become a safety hazard and ...(more)
Bronx River Cement Plant Site Restoration - At one time, the Bronx River was so "pure and wholesome" that New York City officials considered using it to supply the city with drinking water. However, during the industrial revolution of the 19th century, the river valley was turned into an industrial corridor, and became what one official commission called an "open sewer." Due to the nearly complete channelization and armoring of its banks, the intertidal portion of the Bronx River shows little of the vegetation that once dominated its shores. Stretches of bulkhead, sheet piling...(more)
Hawaii Coral Reef Native Algae Restoration - Removing Alien Invaders Smothering Hawaii's Reefs - Hawaii's reefs are home to an abundance of marine invertebrates and fishes, many of which are found only in Hawaii. One of the greatest threats to the coral reefs and other marine ecosystems is the spread of invasive, non-native marine algae, specifically Gracilaria salicornia, also known as gorilla ogo. This species of algae was a good source of...(more)
Northwest Straits Marine Conservation Initiative - Restoring and Conserving Puget Sound - Historically, Puget Sound in northwest Washington State has been habitat for a range of critical marine and anadromous species, and its fishery plays a vital role in the regional economy. By the mid-1990's, the quality of the fishery was rapidly degrading, threatening both marine and freshwater species, as well as human communities dependent on the natural resources of the Sound. In response to the environmental and economic crisis facing Puget Sound, Congress established...(more)
Olympia Oyster Restoration Project - Re-seeding the Northwest's Only Native Oyster - With natural habitat ranging from Alaska to Mexico, the Olympia oyster is the only oyster native to the Pacific Northwest. For thousands of years, the oyster provided sustenance for tribes, and habitat for a host of marine organisms. Because it is a filter feeder, it improves water quality as it filters food from the water. Until the end of the nineteenth century, it was the most abundant bivalve in the Puget Sound, but over-harvesting, sediment loads, and pollution...(more)
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