8/13/2019 Louisiana Wetlands Part 2

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Louisiana Wetlands Part 2: Why Should We Save the Coast?

Louisianas coastline is extremely important to the nation. Over two million people live

along this coast. It is also the top fishery producer in the U.S., bringing in over $3 billion dollars

in revenue every year, with an additional $35 billion annually. The state is the top producer of

domestic oil, which brings in another $70 billion.

Louisianas coast should be saved just to protect the culture, which is one of the richest

cultures in the states. The wetlands provide the environment for many of the economic

activities, like fishing and navigation. The culture can be summed up through music, food, and

living off of the wetlands. Louisianas heritage is based on the coast.

Louisiana also offers both commercial and recreational fishing, with over 20% of the fish

harvested in the lower 48 states being caught in Louisiana. Commercial Fishing accounts for

$3.5 billion dollars and over 40,000 jobs. Recreational Fishing brings in an additional $895

Million per year.

The wetlands currently being destroyed provide important habitats for many wildlife, likethe brown pelican. Bird watching, hiking, photography, and camping in south Louisiana

contributes another $220 million to Louisianas company every year. It is also a natural hub for

navigation. Almost 3,000 miles of channels are located in the wetlands and five of the largest

United States ports are located in South Louisiana.

Oil and gas is also a prominent export of Louisiana. 80% of the nations offshore oil and

natural gas is produced in Louisiana. The coastal zone also contains over 43,000 oil and gas

wells, the Henry Hub (one of the nations major natural gas distribution centers, and two storage

sites for said oil. Louisiana has 3819 vendors and equipment suppliers in 165 different

communities to service this array of infrastructure.

These wetlands serve as a type of storm protection, with one foot of storm surge being

absorbed by every 2.7 miles of wetlands. This protection, if put into numbers, amounts to

between 520 million and 2.2 billion dollars.

The Mississippi River ends in Louisianas Coastal Zone, leaving nutrients from the very

top of the continental United States, as well as Canada. Levees nowadays channel these nutrients

into the Gulf of Mexico. Before these levees were built, however, this runoff was filtered by

Louisianas wetlands and converted into biologically useful materials, building up the wetlands.

Resources:

Coast in Crisis. Uplifting the Coast. N.d. Web. 11 Dec 2013.