COASTAL RESTORATION / MARINE HABITAT PROGRAM

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Heather Warner-Finley, Habitat Program Manager
Phone: 225-765-2956
Fax: 225-765-2489

Louisiana's wealth of coastal fisheries arises from a lucky combination of natural features. The Mississippi River and its major distributary, the Atchafalaya River, have sent vital sediment and nutrients for hundreds of years down their lengths to deltas and estuaries bordering the Gulf of Mexico. The sediments have formed Louisiana's vital wetlands, and the nutrients have fed her fisheries. Louisiana's estuaries are among the most productive in the nation.

Humans have probably taken advantage of the Gulf of Mexico's abundant fishery resources since we began to inhabit the region. There is ample archaeological evidence that early Americans ate fish and shellfish along the northern Gulf coast. Today we continue to enjoy the seafood that is harvested and the recreational opportunities afforded by the waters of the Gulf of Mexico. These are important fish habitats. These habitats are also the site of oil and gas exploration and development, necessary infrastructure for transportation, flood and saltwater protection, urban and suburban growth, agricultural and silvicultural activities, and a host of other human activities.

Links:

State and Federal Coastal Restoration projects

Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission

Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council

LDWF Seismic Permitting

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