The Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council (Council) has released updated Observational Data Plan Guidelines and associated resources to facilitate consistent data collection and management for Council-funded activities. An Observational Data Plan (ODP) describes the data collection and management activities that a Council-member project or program will implement to help evaluate progress toward its goals and objectives. The ODP Guidelines provide detailed instructions for filling out an ODP form, including recommendations on appropriate metrics, monitoring methodologies, and data management procedures.