The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation has awarded more than $280 million from its Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund to 21 new projects on the Gulf Coast, including 7 in Florida

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation has awarded more than $280 million from its Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund to 21 new projects on the Gulf Coast, including 7 in Florida.

The projects are designed to remedy harm and reduce the risk of future harm to natural resources that were affected by the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

The Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund was created in 2013 to administer money resulting from plea agreements between the U.S. Department of Justice and BP and Transocean.

Provisions within the agreements directed a total of $2.5 billion dollars to The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation over a five-year period to be used to support natural resource projects in each of the five Gulf States.

To date, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation has awarded nearly $1.3 billion dollars, or more than half of available funds.

This week's announcement includes more than $53 million dollars for seven new projects in the Florida.

Projects include a large-scale oyster reef restoration project in Pensacola Bay as well as a conservation easement over coastal wetlands and forests in the Big Bend region to protect water quality and habitats.

There are also three projects to help enhance sea turtle nesting, and a shoreline stabilization project on important wading bird rookery islands. 

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