Volunteers Plant Floating Islands to Save Louisiana Lands From Disappearing

Volunteers helped launch 187 "floating islands" in a demonstration project of new technology to protect the area south of Houma, La., considered "ground zero" for coastal land loss in America. The America's WETLAND Foundation, the Coastal Conservation Association (CCA), Shell, Entergy and the Terrebonne Parish Consolidated Government partnered to sponsor the demonstration project that backers feel holds promise as a new weapon in stopping coastal erosion.

"Louisiana's Native American communities have lost so much land that a part of the state's historical heritage is threatened," said Valsin A. Marmillion, managing director of the America's WETLAND Foundation. "If we lose this land, it will be an American tragedy. This is a demonstration of a new technology but also of caring, sending the message that we must rally and take action when the government turns its back on historic communities."

Martin Ecosystems of Baton Rouge—the company that is installing the islands with the help of volunteers from Entergy, Shell, CCA, Brown and Caldwell, local 4-H club members, Bayou Faith Shared Community Organizing, Bayou Grace Community Services, Pointe Aux Chene Elementary, Montegut Middle School, Future Leaders of America's Gulf, Sassafras Louisiana and the local Native American tribes—will monitor the effectiveness of the islands over the next year.

"This is a very good demonstration project," said Nicole Martin Waguespack, spokesperson for Martin Ecosystems. "This is the first project we have done with so much community support, and it's a larger scale project than we have done in the past."

The 5-by-8 ft islands were planted by volunteers, then anchored end-to-end for 1,500 ft next to remaining marshes on the thin strip of road that leads to Isle de Jean Charles, south of Houma. The plants will set roots into the water bottoms, forming traps for land-building sediments. Several islands will be stacked away from shore to test their ability to build land in open water.

The floating islands create a manmade ecosystem that mimics naturally occurring wetlands. "This is a demonstration to see if these islands can be used to build land in shallow, open waters," said Nick Matherne, parish director of coastal restoration and preservation. "If successful, the area around the islands will strengthen and flourish, and this could serve as a model for sustainable land mass."

Source: PR Newswire