The Restoration Center (housed in the National Marine Fisheries Service, Office of Habitat Conservation) performs restoration pursuant to federal legislation and improves the state of restoration ecology and habitat management.

Working with others, the Restoration Center achieves its mission by:

What is restoration?

For America's living marine resources (LMR), "restoration" means returning a polluted or degraded environment as closely as possible to a successful, self-sustaining ecosystem with both clean water and healthy habitats. These habitats support fish and wildlife, and human uses such as swimming, diving, boating, and recreational and commercial fishing. Restoration usually doesn't focus on a single species but strives to replicate the original natural system to support numerous species. The goal is to expedite natural processes in rebuilding a healthy, functioning natural ecosystem that works like it did before it was polluted or destroyed. Restoration also means an actual increase in LMR habitats, as measured both by structural and functional characteristics that have the ability to support fish and wildlife.