A view of the radio tower on the east end of East Timbalier Island.

Open water surrounds East Timbalier Island.

A dramatic image shows the delivery of sediment to East Timbalier Island.

This image shows the effect the sediment is having at East Timbalier island. The original footprint of the island is slowly being rebuilt.

The hydraulic dredge, the beach builder.

Roger Griffis of NOAA assists in the clean-up at Ft. McHenry, MD.

NOAA volunteers plant smooth cordgrass, Spartina alterniflora

Livingston Marshall of Morgan State University removes Phragmites australis, a non-native invasive species.

Removal of trash at Ft. McHenry, this site is a created wetland, the rip rap around the border was placed to stabilize the area.

Glenn Page, the Conservation Director for the National Aquarium in Baltimore, instructs volunteers in planting techniques and in using a dibble.

Glenn Page instructing volunteers in the art of wetland planting techniques at Ft. McHenry.

Volunteers at Ft McHenry collect and remove bags of trash collected at the restoration site.

Glenn Page gives a lesson in water quality monitoring.

Roger Griffis of NOAA takes a break from the work.

NOAA volunteers and Morgan State University students plant smooth cordgrass, Spartina alterniflora, at the Ft. McHenry site.

Margaret McCalla of NOAA cleans trash off the beach at Ft. McHenry, MD.

June Gupton, a volunteer, cleans the shoreline at the Ft. McHenry site.

Volunteers plant the Spartina alterniflora seedlings in the dried salt marsh. Most of the plantings done here were in the intertidal zone.

Glenn Page and a group of volunteers plant Spartina alterniflora in the intertidal zone at Ft. McHenry, MD.

Glenn Page instructs volunteers in planting techniques. Scott Gudes of NOAA is in the background.

Penny Dalton, former Assistant Administrator for NOAA Fisheries, cleans trash and debris from the rip rap around the perimeter of the wetlands at Ft McHenry.

NOAA volunteers clean and remove trash from the rip rap.

Abby Meador, a volunteer, takes an inventory of the trash collected at Ft. McHenry.

A view looking from Ft. McHenry across the Patapsco River. This ten-acre wetland was created at the base of the Fort McHenry. The marsh here is inundated by full tide.

Volunteers plant Spartina alterniflora at Ft. Mc Henry.

Scott Gudes of NOAA prepares to plant at the Ft. Mc Henry site.

Glenn Page carries a tray of S.alterniflora seedlings to the planting site.

Scott Gudes and Becky Allee of NOAA walk walk through the restoration site.

A volunteer hauls trash removed from the site.

Volunteers prepare to plant at the site.

Penny Dalton searches for trash during the collection phase of the restoration.

A group of volunteers plant at the Ft. Mc Henry site.

The reefs off Mona Island are the resting grounds for many ships. The wreck in the image is the M/V El Alborada, grounded offshore of Pajaros on Mona Island in in 1980.

Looking from the restoration site facing northeast at the tip of Mona Island are the cliffs. At the east end of the island is an old lighthouse.

Looking out at the M/V El Alborada from inside the cliffs at Mona Island at the east end of the island.

Looking from the cliffs at Playa de Pajaros. The restoration site is to the right in the photograph.

The limestone cliffs at Mona Island

The shaded variations in the water illustrate the patch reefs common at Mona Island. The breaking waves show the beginning of the main reef framework.

Facing south, a cliff face near the restoration site

An entrance to the caves and cliffs at Mona Island

From the water, a prominent cliff face of Mona Island

Mona Island as seen from offshore

The craggy face of a cliff at Mona Island

The road down to the only existing housing at Mona Island leads to the staging and docking areas for the restoration workers.

Sunset over the water at Mona Island

In the foreground, the camp and dock areas used to transport supplies to and from the reef.

A large spiny lobster, Panulirus interruptus, taken from the reef at Mona Island.

The Jamilie anchors in calm waters.

In the foreground, John Iliff, the NOAA project manager for the restoration at Mona Island prepares to dive.

A restoration worker uses a marine radio on board the Cunan Law to prepare for a site visit.