[♪ and rushing water]
[♪]
Narrator: The Deepwater Horizon oil spill
began in April 2010 and continued for 87 days.
By the time it was finally contained,
134 million gallons of oil had been released
into the Gulf of Mexico,
making it the largest marine oil spill in U.S. history.
Tim Lewis: The Gulf of Mexico is
pretty much everything to myself and family.
I was fishing at the time when the rig blew
and the next day, we were setting
and I saw the oil on the surface,
and so we just cut the trip and came on in.
Narrator: The oil spread throughout the Gulf.
It sank down to the ocean floor,
mixed into the water column,
seeped into marshes, and soiled beaches.
Animals swam through it, inhaled it,
and even ingested the oil.
The impacts from the spill affected the entire Gulf ecosystem.
Laurie Rounds: The Deepwater Horizon oil spill
also impacted our Gulf communities,
which are so closely tied and linked
to the natural resources of the Gulf.
From folks that earn their living through fishing,
recreation, to tourism and beach-goers;
all were impacted by the spill.
Narrator: NOAA led the effort to determine
the total harm from the spill,
along with other federal agencies and the Gulf states.
In 2016, a settlement was reached with BP
and we are now using billions of dollars
from that settlement and other penalties
to restore the Gulf.
Laurie Rounds: The Deepwater Horizon restoration effort
is the largest restoration effort in history.
NOAA has taken the lead in restoration projects
for a variety of habitats including
restoring marshes along the coastline
and restoring corals.
This also includes projects to
restore sea turtles and marine mammals,
and to restore our fisheries.
Narrator: Because of the spill, many adult fish-
including bluefin tuna and swordfish-
were harmed.
The oil also killed trillions of fish larvae.
This meant that a few years later,
some populations would be much smaller.
Gary Guthrie: Fishing was good.
but after 2 years it started dropping off more and more.
And it got extremely bad.
Tim Lewis: Now, last year was probably the worst year
we've seen in quite a while.
[♪]
Narrator: Today, we are working with Gulf fishermen
to help fish populations rebound.
They volunteer to refrain from fishing
during certain times of year,
or switch to alternative gear types.
The gear helps fishermen continue fishing
for yellowfin tuna and swordfish,
while reducing the amount of other fish caught accidentally,
like bluefin tuna.
Jimmy Nguyen [translation]: The bycatch is extremely low.
The bonus part is, every time there's a bycatch,
it's released alive.
That's a bonus for everyone.
[♪]
Narrator: This project is inspiring a new generation of fishermen
and this younger generation is also energized on the coast.
Members of the GulfCorps program
gain skills and experience in conservation
while helping to restore Gulf habitats.
These jobs also help boost the local economy.
Kim Wren: These projects are beneficial
that they're helping us with:
tackling erosion, re-creating habitat, and
then also monitoring these projects to see if they were successful.
Sam Register: We have totally transformed this beach.
We were building an artificial reef and
planting Spartina marsh grass.
And we have turned it into something
that's gonna last for a lifetime.
Kim Wren: And that's what makes me so excited to be a part of it,
is because this area has been hit hard
and this program is really providing youth
an opportunity to recover and rebuild and
help be a part of restoring that community.
[♪]
Charles Petty: I feel like I'm making an impact
in the community that I love
and the skills that I've been able to build upon here
could really build a sustainable future for myself and my family.
[♪]
Narrator: Restoring the Gulf of Mexico will be a long process.
It will take decades to get the habitat,
fisheries, and wildlife
back to where they were before the spill.
NOAA's strong collaboration with Gulf communities and partners,
like fishermen and conservation corps members,
is key to building a resilient and healthy Gulf,
and making restoration a reality.
[♪]
Ashley Chastain: To be able to help restore what was damaged,
it makes me feel so great to know that I was involved, and that
I can be proud of what we've done, and...
De'Uanna Shannon: It gives you a purpose.
It has you leaving every day feeling fulfilled and feeling happy.
Bobby Nguyen: I fell in love with this line of work,
not for me or for my father's generation,
but for my son's generation.
In order for us to restore the Gulf,
everybody has to put a hand in it.
Make the Gulf as if it's your own home.
Take care of it.
[♪]