Search Results for: scientists

40 leading scientists express overwhelming support for Louisiana’s Coastal Master Plan

“We want to see our state’s Coastal Master Plan remain the wonder that it is: the most comprehensive coastal plan in the country, guided by the best-available science,” say concerned signers NEW ORLEANS (Oct. 22, 2024) — A group of 40 natural and physical scientists, engineers and social scientists with extensive research and technical experience related to Louisiana’s coast have co-authored and signed a letter voicing support of Louisiana’s long-standing, science-driven Coastal Master Plan (CMP). “While there is much to …

55 Leading Scientists Express Overwhelming Support for Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion

Co-authored letter stresses urgent need for vital restoration project to sustain Louisiana’s coast NEW ORLEANS (June 1, 2021) — A group of more than 55 natural and physical scientists, engineers and social scientists with a combined 1,300 years of research and technical experience related to Louisiana’s coast have co-authored and signed a letter voicing support based on their scientific knowledge and expertise for the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion, the single largest ecosystem restoration project in U.S. history. The group’s collective interdisciplinary …

New Research Helps Scientists Answer Fundamental Questions About Coastal Restoration

When a new idea or project is introduced, people ask questions to better understand it. How and why it has come about? How it will affect people and resources? How much it will cost? These are valid questions that deserve well-researched and clear answers, especially when it comes to large-scale ecosystem restoration efforts, such as restoring coastal Louisiana. In 2012, Restore the Mississippi River Delta and the Science and Engineering Special Team set out to answer 10 fundamental questions about …

Independent Scientists Release Recommendations for Building Land in Coastal Louisiana

Sediment Diversions Present Opportunity to Rebuild Louisiana’s Coast, Protect against Rising Seas FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Jacques Hebert, jhebert@audubon.org, 504-264-6849 (New Orleans – July 21, 2016) Today, the Sediment Diversion Operations Expert Working Group – a team of leading scientists and community experts with decades of experience working in coastal Louisiana – released key recommendations for operating Mississippi River sediment diversions to most effectively build and maintain land while considering the needs of communities, wildlife and fisheries. Sediment diversions are …

Scientists Look to Food Webs for Better Understanding of Oil Spill Effects

When trying to understand how ecosystems function, scientists often look at food webs–the complex relationships between animals, insects, plants, and bacteria that govern who eats whom. Food webs in the Gulf of Mexico are as complex as they come. The different habitat types, from forests to wetlands to ocean, mean a diverse array of species. The Gulf food web would be nearly impossible to understand in its entirety, but we can simplify it into a chain to help us think …

Five Years Later, Scientists Gather to Assess Ongoing Impact of BP Oil Spill

By Alisha Renfro, National Wildlife Federation & Jacques Hebert, National Audubon Society Last week while some people on the Gulf Coast were in the thick of celebrating Mardi Gras, more than 1000 scientists, including those from the Restore the Mississippi River Delta campaign, met in Houston, Texas, to attend the third-annual Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill and Ecosystem Science Conference. The four-day conference, which included a mix of keynotes and oral and poster presentations, aimed to share scientific information and forward …

Study looks at sediment and water flow through Mississippi River, helps scientists plan effective restoration projects

By Alisha A. Renfro, Ph.D., National Wildlife Federation The sediment and water transported by the Mississippi River built much of the ecologically-rich Mississippi River Delta and Louisiana coastline. But over the last decade, manmade modifications throughout the river basin to improve navigation and flood protection have disconnected the river from its delta. This has reduced the amount of sediment carried by the river and severed the connection between the river and the adjacent wetlands it naturally built. Sediment is a …

New research will help scientists and coastal planners design wetland restoration projects

By Alisha A. Renfro, Ph.D., National Wildlife Federation Wetlands are some of the most economically valuable and ecologically productive environments in the world. Often considered “the kidneys of the landscape,” wetlands help decrease the effects of floods and droughts, cleanse polluted waters, protect shorelines, control erosion and serve as sinks for atmospheric carbon dioxide. They are also important habitat for a variety of flora and fauna. But human activities and natural processes have greatly reduced the amount of wetlands worldwide. …

Scientists suggest evaluating ecosystem services to better understand Gulf oil spill impacts

By Alisha Renfro, Ph.D., National Wildlife Federation On April 20, 2010, the Deepwater Horizon platform exploded, resulting in a spill of 200 million gallons of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico (GoM). Under the U.S. Oil Pollution Act of 1990, this oil spill triggered the Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) process, which determines the extent and severity of the injury to natural resources. The complexity of the GoM ecosystem—coupled with the scale of the event—poses a serious challenge to …

Wetland Scientists, St. Bernard Parish Landowners, and 27,000 Americans Weigh In on MRGO Restoration

By Amanda Moore, National Wildlife Federation The MRGO Must Go Coalition partnered with leading scientists and prominent landowners in St. Bernard Parish to submit detailed recommendations to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for review and incorporation into its final plan to restore massive ecosystem damage caused by the Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet shipping channel. The recommendations were based on two prior reports released by the Coalition and reviewed over several months by a group of coastal scientists with expertise in …

Reconnect the Mississippi River

A Critical Milestone for America’s Largest Restoration Project is Here – and We Need Your Help to Move it Forward Louisiana’s land-loss crisis is complex — caused by a multitude of factors and requiring a variety of solutions working together to turn the tide and make progress. As Louisiana’s coastal wetlands disappear, the very existence of the Mississippi River Delta is in jeopardy. Also in danger are all the important elements of the coastal region that depend on a healthy …

Reconnect the Mississippi River

A Critical Milestone for America’s Largest Restoration Project is Here – and We Need Your Help to Move it Forward Louisiana’s land-loss crisis is complex — caused by a multitude of factors and requiring a variety of solutions working together to turn the tide and make progress. As Louisiana’s coastal wetlands disappear, the very existence of the Mississippi River Delta is in jeopardy. Also in danger are all the important elements of the coastal region that depend on a healthy …

Louisiana Coastal Master Plan Survey 2026

A Critical Milestone for America’s Largest Restoration Project is Here – and We Need Your Help to Move it Forward Louisiana’s land-loss crisis is complex — caused by a multitude of factors and requiring a variety of solutions working together to turn the tide and make progress. As Louisiana’s coastal wetlands disappear, the very existence of the Mississippi River Delta is in jeopardy. Also in danger are all the important elements of the coastal region that depend on a healthy …

Setting the Record Straight on the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion

Louisiana Coastal Issues Poll 2025

A Critical Milestone for America’s Largest Restoration Project is Here – and We Need Your Help to Move it Forward Louisiana’s land-loss crisis is complex — caused by a multitude of factors and requiring a variety of solutions working together to turn the tide and make progress. As Louisiana’s coastal wetlands disappear, the very existence of the Mississippi River Delta is in jeopardy. Also in danger are all the important elements of the coastal region that depend on a healthy …