Monitoring, Protecting, and Restoring Coastal Louisiana

Although many natural habitats were devastated by the hurricane, research is showing that most of these systems will recover in time. Physical destruction was limited to an area near the path of the storm, but the secondary effects of Hurricane Andrew were noticed at sites quite distant from its path. Some of the barrier islands were severely eroded. Hurricanes such as Andrew can only accelerate a trend towards their disappearance, although efforts to restore those islands are already seeing some success.

Vegetation has recovered in Louisiana's coastal wetlands, but in certain areas wetland loss was accelerated and distinct physical changes--such as the compression of coastal marshes--resulted. The forested wetlands of the Atchafalaya Basin will probably be as resilient as the coastal wetlands despite damage and loss to the canopy trees. Despite initial losses, wildlife populations have generally recovered.

Our conclusions must be tempered with the realization that these coastal ecosystems are increasingly at risk from various natural and human-caused factors. The forested wetlands are being rapidly reduced in area and are experiencing changes in the composition of their woody species. Over time, Louisiana has lost nearly 60 percent of its forested wetlands. Barrier islands are eroding at alarming rates, and Louisiana leads the nation in wetland loss.

We must continue to monitor the long-term effects of hurricanes and make note of which species are present as well as establish permanent study plots that can be followed over time. Without continued research into how both nature and humans affect Louisiana's coast, we may one day arrive at a point where we find that willful winds are agents of total destruction. Hurricane Andrew's damage was tempered by its part in the continued evolution of the coast, but that may change with future, fiercer storms and continued degradation of our coastal resources.

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