What will the future look like for Bald Eagles in coastal Louisiana?
← Older postsWhat will the future look like for Bald Eagles in coastal Louisiana?
With its large dark brown body, snowy-white head and fearsome yellow talons and bill, the Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) is one of the most recognizable raptors in the United States. Selected as the national bird for its representation of strength and courage, the Bald Eagle also plays a non-figurative role in nature as an indicator of ecosystem health. The eagle’s preference for forested wetlands makes it representative of healthy upper estuary habitat and its role as an apex predator has …
Restore the Coast, Protect the Gator
In Louisiana, alligators are thriving, but coastal land loss may threaten their future. In the mid-20th century, the future of the American alligator was anything but certain. Due to unchecked hunting and loss of habitat, this giant reptile was federally listed as an endangered species in 1967. Thanks to the enactment of state, federal and international wildlife protections, the American alligator’s population rebounded and is now considered “one of the first endangered species success stories”. Louisiana and Florida claim the …
National Estuaries Week 2019: Why it Matters and How to Celebrate
National Estuaries Week was founded in 1988 by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) as a single day to encourage exploration and appreciation of local estuaries. It’s now become a weeklong celebration of the myriad benefits that bays and estuaries provide to communities nationwide, thanks to groups like Restore America’s Estuaries and others. What is an estuary? Estuaries are essentially where rivers meet the sea. The intermingling of fresh water draining in from the river and salt water coming …
World Wildlife Day 2018: Our Staff’s Favorite Louisiana Critters
March 3rd is World Wildlife Day! Coastal Louisiana is a vast and dynamic tapestry of forests, swamps, marshes, river channels, estuaries and islands. The region provides habitat for countless wildlife, including birds, fish, mammals, amphibians and more! Taken together, these habitats make up one of the largest and most productive wetland ecosystems in North America. To celebrate World Wildlife Day, our staff are sharing about their favorite Louisiana critters! Learn more about our precious Louisiana wildlife and why we need …
Birds of Louisiana’s Coast: A Landscape of Vital Habitats
Originally published on January 11, 2018 by Audubon Louisiana. Some people may envision the Louisiana coast as a monolithic landscape, but to wildlife the environment is actually a mosaic of many habitat types. A diversity of species, particularly birds, has evolved to depend on specific habitat characteristics within this diverse coastal Louisiana landscape. As such, Audubon Louisiana recently created Birds of Our Coast, an infographic intended to highlight vital coastal habitats within Louisiana and a selection of bird species that …
Oyster Reefs of the Past Hold Lessons for Future Coastal Restoration
This is part 2 of a two-part series concerning Richard Condrey and Natalie Peyronnin’s recent paper, “Using Louisiana’s coastal history to innovate its coastal future,” published in Shore & Beach, Fall 2017. See part one here. It’s hard to imagine the lush and expansive complex of marshes and oyster reefs that early explorers encountered in south Louisiana, as described in Dr. Condrey’s recent blog. It is equally as hard to imagine how Louisiana’s coast will look into the future. Unfortunately, …
The Great Barrier Reef of the Americas: Coastal Lessons from the Past
This is part 1 of a two-part series concerning Richard Condrey and Natalie Peyronnin’s recent paper, “Using Louisiana’s coastal history to innovate its coastal future,” published in Shore & Beach, Fall 2017. See part 2 here. Listen to Richard and Natalie talk about the Great Barrier Reef of the Americas on our podcast, Delta Dispatches! They were there, billions of oysters on the Great Barrier Reef of the Americas (GRBA), along the southern coast of Louisiana – a dangerous impediment to …
Finding the Sweet Spot: Studying Oyster Habitat Suitability in the Pontchartrain Basin
Eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica) have been cultivated in Louisiana’s coastal waters since the mid-1800s. For the last 35 years, the industry has produced more oysters in Louisiana than any other state. In Louisiana, the oyster industry is smaller in size than the pogy or shrimp fisheries but is similar in value to crawfish or alligator harvests. Understanding oyster habitat dynamics over space and time in the Pontchartrain Basin is important because of the cultural and commercial significance as well as …
Best of Bycatch: And the Winner Is…
LUCY’S RETIRED SURFERS BAR & RESTAURANT! Asian carp, an invasive species with a growing presence in the Gulf of Mexico, spurred a competition among area chefs from Alma, Café Carmo, Lucy’s Retired Surfers Bar & Restaurant and Spotted Cat Food & Spirits. The event was emceed by Chef Kevin Belton, who came straight from taping his show at the WYES studio. The event was hosted by Restore the Mississippi River Delta and the Culinaria Center at the Southern Food and …
Tropical Storm Cindy Just Wiped Out Most of the Shorebird Chicks in the Gulf
Without coastal restoration that makes beaches less vulnerable to storm surges, climate change will be a threat, and not just from sea level rise. Originally posted on Audubon.org on June 27, 2017. A Least Tern colony, marked by signs and twine, was submerged after Tropical Storm Cindy hit the Gulf Coast last week. Photo: Abby Darrah. This week, communities ringing the Gulf of Mexico are assessing damages and cleaning up after being hit by Tropical Storm Cindy, which made landfall in …
Whoop Whoop for the Return of the Whoopers!
By Erik Johnson, Director of Bird Conservation & Karen Westphal, Coastal Project Manager, National Audubon Society Originally posted on May 18, 2017 by Audubon Louisiana. The tallest bird in North America nearly went extinct, and it is still teetering on the edge. Anyone who has seen a Great Egret knows the grandeur of such birds, but the Whooping Crane towers over the tallest herons and egrets, being 50% taller, and having a wingspan of 7.5 feet. Bright white, with a …
Cooking for the Coast: Eat Alligator, Restore the Coast!
Louisiana’s rich and productive estuaries – zones where salt water from the Gulf mixes with fresh water from rivers – create an array of habitats that support numerous and diverse fish and wildlife species. One such species is the iconic American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis), Louisiana’s state reptile and a true conservation success story. In the 1960s, the future of our alligators was in doubt. Loss of freshwater habitat, where alligators reside, combined with over-hunting took a toll on their population. …
Barrier Islands: A Critical Restoration Project for People and Birds
Managing Barrier Islands to Maximize their Benefits to Birds Originally posted here in Audubon Louisiana News on March 20, 2017. Restoration of Louisiana barrier islands and shorelines is not only vital to the health of coastal Louisiana, but also to hundreds of thousands of nesting birds. Those that lay their eggs on the sand, called beach-nesting birds, are among the fastest group of declining birds in North America, and they rely on this critical habitat for survival. Over the last …
Celebrating America and Protecting our Feathered Friends
Prior to the start of a busy Fourth of July weekend, Audubon Louisiana staff and volunteers ventured to Holly Beach to protect nesting birds. These birds, including Wilson’s Plovers, Least Terns and Black Skimmers, are all Audubon priority bird species and are in danger of losing their crucial habitat. Additionally, many of these birds depend on beach habitat for nesting, making their nests vulnerable to vehicular and human traffic. These nests are often camouflaged, making it hard for people to know …
Tracking Fish with Acoustic Telemetry—Implementation of an Exciting Technology in Lake Pontchartrain
The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) and many other fisheries organizations and scientists worldwide have traditionally used fish tags to keep track of fish populations. You may have even applied these simple dart-tipped plastic tags to a fish yourself. Standard fish tagging efforts (in part) identify where the fish was originally captured, Point A, and then where the fish was recaptured, Point Z. But there is not a clear picture of where these fish were for points B, …