NEW ORLEANS – The Terrebonne Basin Barrier Island and Beach Nourishment Projects, led by the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA), highlight Louisiana’s urgent efforts to safeguard its coast as global climate science and local realities point to the mounting challenges of sea-level rise.
“Early stages of planning for the restoration of these islands began as early as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 2008 Terrebonne Basin Barrier Shoreline Restoration, which was a program that took a regional more systematic natural approach to handling coastal land loss and improvements to ecosystem function,” said Jessica Mallindine of The Water Institute. Mallindine previously served as Marine Minerals Leasing and Environmental Coordinator for federal sand resources managed by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), a role that connected her directly to the project’s development.
Although the Corps’ plan was never fully funded, the state revived parts of it in its 2012 and 2017 Coastal Master Plans. That effort led to the Terrebonne Basin Barrier Island project, which CPRA designed in 2018 and began building in 2020. West Belle Headland, one of three barrier islands included in the project, was damaged by Hurricane Zeta in 2020 while restoration was underway. CPRA is currently awaiting approval of FEMA funding to rebuild it.
A First Line of Defense
Barrier islands are more than stretches of sand on the horizon; they are vital shields for the communities and industries behind them. “Barrier Islands play an important role in supporting and bolstering protections to some of our major infrastructure, like Port Fourchon and Hwy 1, but are often the first line of defense during storm events,” Mallindine said. Those defenses buffer storm surge, waves, erosion, and wind while also shielding wetlands from the open Gulf.
The wetlands behind them form another layer of Louisiana’s flood protection. “They greatly reduce storm surge and waves before reaching the floodwalls and levees that protect our communities,” she added. Stable estuaries supported by barrier islands also sustain Louisiana’s fishing industry by keeping salinity levels in balance.
For advocates, the Mississippi River itself remains the state’s greatest tool for rebuilding the coast. “Even before the hurricanes we knew we had this wonderful resource in the Mississippi River and it is what will sustain us,” said Simone Maloz, Campaign Director, Restore the Mississippi River Delta. “We need to harness the power of the river, rebuild the land and provide protection for local communities.”
“Barrier islands are a first line of defense,” Maloz added. With twenty years of experience working on coastal issues, she emphasized that a single solution won’t be enough. “The hurricanes and the oil spill helped us realize we need multiple lines of defense, we need to rebuild the marsh, we need sediment, fresh water, evacuation routes, elevated homes – all of these things. Multiple lines of defense that help us balance restoration and protection and balance short and long term needs.”
Without restoration projects, Mallindine explained, “most of the islands would be gone. It’s the restoration projects that sustain them.” The loss of islands exposes fragile marshes to stronger waves and currents, accelerating their erosion. That erosion, she noted, could ripple into fisheries that depend on coastal nurseries to thrive.
Science Confirms the Rising Tide
While Louisiana works to restore its coast, scientists continue to track the rising seas threatening it. New research from Tulane University underscores just how accurate past warnings about sea-level rise have proven. A study published in Earth’s Future found that mid-1990s climate projections closely match what satellites have observed over the last 30 years.
“The ultimate test of climate projections is to compare them with what has played out since they were made, but this requires patience. It takes decades of observations,” said lead author Torbjörn Törnqvist, Vokes Geology Professor at Tulane. “We were quite amazed how good those early projections were, especially when you think about how crude the models were back then.”
The study compared projections from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s 1996 assessment with modern data. The report predicted nearly 8 centimeters of global sea-level rise in 30 years, remarkably close to the 9 centimeters recorded. But researchers underestimated the role of ice sheets, which have contributed more than 2 centimeters of additional rise.
“Sea level doesn’t rise uniformly – it varies widely,” said co-author Sönke Dangendorf, David and Jane Flowerree Associate Professor at Tulane. He emphasized the importance of regional projections that can inform decision-making in vulnerable areas like south Louisiana.
Looking Ahead
Together, the findings highlight both the accuracy of past climate models and the urgent need for local adaptation. For Louisiana, that means continuing to invest in projects like the Terrebonne Basin Barrier Islands, which buy time for communities, industries, and ecosystems under increasing threat.
But uncertainty looms. “It took 6 years to get the Mid-Barataria permit. Now that the state is not moving forward with it, we are left with having to figure out what is next. We need to reconnect with the river and invest in something that will be around for decades,” Maloz said.
As Mallindine put it, the islands and wetlands are “the first line of defense” — and without them, the state’s already narrow margins for protection against storms and rising seas would shrink even further.
