The Louisiana Wetlands serve as a nursery for much of the wildlife that flourishes in the Gulf of Mexico. Species of marine invertebrates such as shrimp, crabs, oysters, and many fish all spawn in these areas. As wetlands vanish so too will the marine life. As wildlife dwindles, the shrimping and fishing industry will of course feel the full effect. One fisherman stated that without these “invertebrates that [wildlife] feed on, Louisiana, and our way of life, will be changed forever. All life starts at the bottom of the food chain … this is where the most damage will occur when the oil and dispersants cover our waters.”[1]
Flooded Davis Pond in the Louisiana Wetland
Even before the Deepwater Horizon tragedy, there were several factors known to threaten the wildlife and habitats of the Mississippi Delta. The wetlands of Louisiana have taken a beating from levees and oil pipeline canals that send the Gulf’s harvested oil inland. These wetlands protect the area from natural storms and disasters and without them there is nothing standing in the way of nature’s violent outbursts.
Resources on Louisiana's Wetlands
- IU wetlands expert: It’s too early to assess effects of Gulf oil spill
- Louisiana's Wetlands @ National Geographic Magazine
- Regaining Ground: In aftermath of Katrina and Rita, scientists make case for coastal recovery balancing ecology with economy
- H-Energy Roundtables: Louisiana’s Wetlands: A Battered and Bruised Energy Landscape