The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation has announced grants totaling more than $10 million through its Recovered Oil Fund for Wildlife, which was created after last year's Deepwater Horizon oil spill to protect and restore animal species living in and around the Gulf Coast.

Announced nearly a year after the explosion of BP's Deepwater Horizon rig, which resulted in more than 200 million gallons of oil being discharged into the Gulf, the second round of grants from the fund will support efforts to improve sea turtle hatchling success rates across 56 miles of beaches in Florida; increase the capacity of marine mammal and sea turtle treatment facilities; and restore 3.5 miles of oyster reefs that in turn will protect sensitive coastal habitat and reduce bycatch of sea turtles as well as recreational and commercial fish. Grant recipients include the Nature Conservancy, which was awarded $1.1 million for its work to restore oyster reefs in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama; the Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences, which received $647,861 to restore and protect Gulf coast shorebird populations and habitats along the Atlantic coast and implement protection measures for American oystercatcher and piping plover nesting sites; and the Environmental Defense Fund, which received $291,800 to map and identify natural oyster reefs in Louisiana and restore 15 acres through oyster cultch planting.

Established with proceeds from BP's share of the net revenue generated by the sale of oil recovered at the Deepwater Horizon site, the fund awarded $6.85 million in grants in this funding round, which was matched by an additional $3.3 million from other donors. To date, BP has donated $22 million to the fund.

"Following the oil spill, NFWF responded with immediate actions that put vital conservation projects on the ground and realized substantial benefits for wildlife," said NFWF executive director Jeff Trandahl. "In our second round of grants, we're expanding our investments in the region to support additional species. Many of these projects, such as habitat enhancement and bycatch prevention, not only address immediate needs but will continue to boost Gulf wildlife populations long into the future."

For a complete list of grantees, visit the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Web site.