USGS video dramatically depicts massive coastal Louisiana land loss

This piece was originally posted on lacoast.gov.

On Monday (August 29), the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Wetlands Research Center announced the release of a new Louisiana coastal land loss video, dramatically detailing key findings portrayed in its new coastal map. The video can be found in the USGS Multimedia Gallery at: http://gallery.usgs.gov/videos/433 or on YouTube.com at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNkCml_VRcE.

This new video illustrates findings from the new Coastal Louisiana Land Area Change Map. The map will enable scientists and stakeholders alike to better understand the timing and causes of coastal wetlands loss. This information is critical for forecasting landscape changes in the future.

During the last eight decades, Louisiana has suffered from extreme coastal land changes. Since 1932, Coastal Louisiana has lost  nearly 1,900 (1,883) square miles of wetland area, equaling the size of Delaware. Overall, Louisiana has experienced more coastal land loss than the lower 48 states combined.

“The rate of wetland loss from 1985-2010 has averaged 16.6 square miles each year,” said Brady Couvillion, USGS National Wetlands Research Center geographer. “If this loss were to occur at a constant rate, it would equate to losing more than a football field every hour.”

The USGS National Wetlands Research Center released their scientific findings earlier this summer before a joint Natural Resources and Environmental Committee meeting held at the Louisiana State Capitol in Baton Rouge, La.

Public awareness and understanding is crucial to the future and sustainability of Coastal Louisiana. “Coastal Louisiana wetlands are critical to the economy, security, and well-being of our entire North American continent,” said Phil Turnipseed, director of the USGS National Wetlands Research Center. “These wetlands truly are one of America’s greatest treasures.”

The USGS National Wetlands Research Center continues to research new methods to solve this crisis. “Scientists at the USGS National Wetlands Research Center continually strive to improve methods, models, monitoring, and expertise, needed by decision makers to remediate and save our rapidly disappearing coastal zone,” concluded Turnipseed.

To learn more about the new USGS Coastal Louisiana Land Area Change Map and video visit http://pubs.usgs.gov/sim/3164/ or contact Gabrielle B. Bodin at (337) 266-8655 or boding@usgs.gov for more information.