Officials from the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA), the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF), and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) announced the observance of endangered sea turtle hatchlings on the Chandeleur Islands for the third consecutive year.
Trail cameras on the islands captured more than 60 loggerhead hatchlings emerging from nests at two different sites on the Chandeleur Islands, one day apart from each other. Researchers have conducted nesting surveys for endangered sea turtles for the last three years as part of the ongoing engineering and design efforts for a project to restore and enhance the remote barrier island chain. A total of 28 crawls were documented in the 2024 nesting season, with 15 nests confirmed.
“The importance of the Chandeleur Islands to Louisiana’s coast cannot be overstated,” said LDWF Secretary Madison Sheahan. “Not only do they help protect coastal communities from storm surge, but they host significant habitats and a variety of rare species not found anywhere else in Louisiana, making these islands a fundamental part of our conservation efforts.”
The presence of sea turtle hatchlings on the Chandeleur Islands was first discovered in August 2022 when endangered Kemp's ridley hatchlings were observed crawling towards the Gulf of Mexico. Prior to this finding, the species hadn't been observed on the islands in over 75 years.
Since 2022, 136 sea turtle crawls have been recorded on the islands, establishing it as one of the highest-density nesting beaches in the northern Gulf of Mexico and the only sea turtle nesting area in Louisiana. Kemp’s ridley, loggerhead and green sea turtles are now all documented to be nesting on the islands.
“The return of these turtles year after year highlights how important the restoration of the Chandeleur Islands is to protecting the vital nesting habitats of these endangered species,” said CRPA Chairman Gordon “Gordy” Dove. “In addition to providing a safe place for these turtles and other wildlife to nest and thrive, the barrier island chain also protects inland communities by serving as a first line of defense against storm surges and hurricanes.”
The barrier islands along Louisiana’s easternmost point gained national prominence when President Theodore Roosevelt issued an executive order in 1904 creating the Breton National Wildlife Refuge, which includes North Breton Island and the Chandeleur Islands.
Since then, the area has faced severe impacts from both natural and human-made disasters. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina directly struck the island chain, causing extensive damage. Five years later, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill devastated the wildlife and marine habitats, severely affecting turtles, fish, birds, and other species that depend on the islands' resources.
While the USFWS believes that 89 percent of the refuge’s acreage has disappeared since President Roosevelt visited the area in 1915, efforts to restore the islands offer hope for the future.
“At the time Breton National Wildlife Refuge was created, coastal areas were recognized as dynamic systems. We have no indication, however, that Roosevelt thought these barrier islands would one day be gone,” said Barret Fortier, USFWS Senior Wildlife Biologist. “We’re committed to preserving Roosevelt’s vision of enduring wildlife habitat in the Gulf of Mexico. While we’ve recently restored North Breton Island to maintain its vital bird habitat, we’ve now trained our sights on the Chandeleur Islands, the location of the most significant sea turtle nesting off the Louisiana coast.”
In addition to nesting habitats for endangered sea turtles, the Breton National Wildlife Refuge is the largest colonial waterbird nesting site in the Northern Gulf of Mexico. The eponymous Chandeleur Gull, a hybrid of the Kelp Gull and the Herring Gull, utilizes the islands as their only nesting ground in the entire world.
While the island chain is an important nesting ground for many species, others use it as a winter migratory habitat. Each fall, tens of thousands of migratory birds including Piping Plovers, Red Knots, Redhead Ducks, and shorebirds visit the islands to take advantage of the seagrass meadows and warmer climate. In a typical year, in total, over 300,000 birds of 171 species utilize the islands.
The Chandeleur Islands are also home to 79 species designated as “Species of Greatest Conservation Need” and the largest and most diverse assemblage of marine seagrass meadows in the Northern Gulf of Mexico.
The proposed Chandeleur Island Restoration Project aims to restore 13 miles of the barrier island chain and increase their long-term resiliency and sustainability. Funds for the current design and survey efforts are being provided by the Regionwide Trustee Implementation Group (TIG), which was established as part of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill settlement to manage restoration activities. Construction for the Project has been targeted for early 2026.
“In response to the immense challenges facing the Chandeleur Islands, we have designed a large-scale plan to protect the islands and the ecosystems that rely upon them for survival,” said CPRA Executive Director Glenn Ledet, Jr. “Executing this bold and extensive project is our best chance to preserve this invaluable island chain, which offers crucial benefits ranging from habitat for endangered species to storm surge protection for nearby communities.”
CPRA is working to identify a funding source for the construction of the project, which is expected to exceed $300 million.
Learn more about the plans to restore the Chandeleur Islands here: https://coastal.la.gov/chandeleur-island-restoration-project/