Barrier islands in the Gulf of Mexico are more than nurseries and habitats for many valuable fisheries and wildlife--they also serve as powerful shields for coastal communities from approaching hurricanes, particularly storm surges. Unfortunately, due to sea level rise, land subsidence, erosion and other factors, 34 square miles of coastal wetlands in Louisiana alone are lost every year. NOAA and our state and community partners are working to reverse that trend.

NOAA and Louisiana have teamed up to rebuild significant portions of a 19-mile expanse of barrier islands off Barataria Bay. In the wake of Katrina, newly rebuilt beaches, dunes, and marsh have been erected. Sand and mud is pumped from up to dozens of miles away to be shaped into new habitat where barrier islands once existed. Pictured above is Pelican Island, where more than 540 acres have been restored and 2.54 miles of valuable beach, dune, and marsh habitat re-created.

To learn more about NOAA’s post-Katrina restoration activities, visit: