Wetlands: Impacts of Energy Development in the Mississippi Delta
Ko J and Day JW. 2006. Wetlands: Impacts of Energy Development in the Mississippi Delta. Encyclopedia of Energy. 6:397-408
The Mississippi Delta encompasses the largest area of coastal wetlands in the United States and supports one of the most extensive developments of petroleum extraction of any coastal area in the world. This area has experienced ecological impacts from energy development related human activities since the early 1900s. The Louisiana coastal zone encompasses approximately 3.8 million ha (9.5 million acres). The zone includes water bodies, marsh (fresh, intermediate, brackish, and salt), forested wetlands, submerged aquatic vegetation, mudflats, beaches, and upland habitats on natural levees with forests, agriculture, and urban development. Marshes make up approximately 63% of the land area in the coastal zone, and coastal Louisiana contains approximately 60% of the estuaries and marshes in the Gulf of Mexico. Coastal wetlands are vital for protecting developed areas from storm surges, providing wildlife and fish habitat, and improving water quality. The coastal zone has experienced multiple ecological impacts due to human activities, including leveeing of the Mississippi River, large-scale wetland reclamation, water quality deterioration, pollution, and widespread disruption of hydrology. Oil and gas development has contributed significantly to these impacts.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Ko, Jae-Young; Day, John
- Units
- JELA
- Keywords
- Accretion, Benthos, bioremediation, Estuary, impoundment, Levee, Primary Production, Produced Water, relative sea level rise