The Louisiana coast is rich in sea life, a fertile agricultural area, and an ideal habitat for birds, reptiles, and mammals of many varieties. Over decades, humans have gravitated to this area, using levees, channels, and other built infrastructure to harness the Mississippi river, improve navigation and transportation routes, and make the area more habitable and profitable for themselves. While this was effective for some time, the disruptions to nature have had long-term consequences which have eroded the area's wetlands and depleted many of the natural resources there. Although wetland restoration efforts have been underway in Louisiana for some time, the destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 offers an opportunity to accelerate the environmental restoration efforts during the reconstruction process. This book assesses what we currently know about the environment in coastal Louisiana and identifies current knowledge gaps. It puts forward a plan to further study coastal Louisiana and develop a plan for restoration projects there, including discussion of the feasibility of the proposals and recommendations for the future.This book can be found in HECSA Library:
Drawing Louisiana's New Map: Addressing Land Loss in Coastal Louisiana
Committee on the Restoration and Protection of Coastal Louisiana, Ocean Studies Board, Division on Earth and Life Studies, National Research Council of the National Academies
QH 76.5 .L8 D73 2006
