More Gulf waters off the Florida Coast reopen for fishing

Florida Panhandle – More than 3,000 square miles of waters off the Florida Panhandle are once again open for commercial and recreational fishing.The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) reopened 3,114 square miles of Gulf waters Friday, September 3.  The reopening was announced after consultation with Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and under a re-opening protocol agreed to by NOAA, the FDA, and the Gulf states.  Click here to read more.

Looking for oil off the Florida coast

Scientists are combing the waters off the Florida coast -- looking for submerged oil from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.  The Subsurface Oil Assessment monitoring program is using six different testing methods to find oil that's either in the water column or at the bottom of the ocean.  To see coverage of this effort from the Pensacola News Journal, click here.

Seeds of Recovery along the Gulf Coast

In Florida and elsewhere along the Gulf of Mexico, there are signs of recovery. Fishing areas are reopening. Protective boom is being removed. Beach areas are open for business. But efforts to deal with the impact of the oil spill are far from over, says Mike Utsler, Chief Operating Officer of BP's Gulf Coast Restoration Organization. In this video update, Utsler reviews what's been achieved and what lies ahead, including longer-term programs underway to assess the environment and restore the region. Click here to see the video.

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