Louisiana's wetlands make up around 40 percent of the coastal wetlands in the lower 48 states, according to theLouisiana's wetland ecosystem plays a hugely important role in the lives of the state's residents which are intimately tied to this habitat, as is the regional economy. Nearly 50 percent of the state's population lives on or near the coast.
The delta is also home to a large variety of wildlife, including the American alligator, and federally endangered animals such as the Louisiana black bear, piping plover, and green sea turtle, according to the National Wildlife Federation Migratory birds use the delta as a stopping-off point, while fish come to its waterways to breed.
An image of the Louisiana coast captured by NASA astronaut Jessica Meir from the International Space Station.However, this ecosystem is under severe threat with the state losing about 24 square miles of wetlands every year. In fact, the state has lost an area of land roughly equivalent in size to Delaware since the 1930s. And if nothing is done to stop this decline, some parts of the Louisiana coast could move inland by around 33 miles by 2040, according to the NWF.
Losing wetland areas means losing vital"ecosystem services," such as their ability to provide protection against storm surges and high winds, reducing the damage caused by hurricanes.
'And I have beautified space..' - Quran 67:5)
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
HuffPost is now a part of Verizon Media
Source: HuffPostWomen - 🏆 27. / 68 Read more »
Source: CNBC - 🏆 12. / 72 Read more »
Source: ABC - 🏆 471. / 51 Read more »
Source: NordicStyleMag - 🏆 377. / 59 Read more »
Source: CNN - 🏆 4. / 95 Read more »