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Life in the Louisiana wetlands is diverse, mixing unique animals, plant life and people. The birds and mammals of all of North America thrive here. Diverse coastal animals like alligators, shrimp, oysters and crawfish call Louisiana's wetlands home.
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Louisiana’s coastal wetlands are essential for numerous species of fish and wildlife, food production, habitat for fish and wildlife reproduction and nursery activities, and overall support of the food chain. National Marine Fisheries Service statistics for the last 20 years indicate that coastal Louisiana contributes about 28% of the nation’s total commercial fisheries harvest.
Louisiana’s coast is at the end of the Mississippi and Central flyways, and nearly 70% of the waterfowl migrating along these routes over winter at sites in coastal Louisiana. If extensive healthy marsh habitats are not available, waterfowl would return to their nesting areas in a weakened condition, resulting in lower nesting success and decreased fall flights.
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Louisiana’s coastal wetlands, extending from the forested wetlands at the upper end to the barrier shorelines bordering the gulf, provide a diverse array of habitats for numerous wildlife communities. The bald eagle and brown pelican, protected by the Endangered Species Act, are recovering from very low populations experienced over the last three decades. Increasing populations for those two species are projected to continue in the future, independent of near-term wetland changes. The fate of other species groups in coastal Louisiana will be influenced by habitat conditions there. These groups include migratory birds, such as wintering waterfowl, which rely on the abundant food supply in coastal wetlands to store sufficient energy reserves for migration and nesting.
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