Millions of migratory waterfowl throughout the Mississippi and Central flyways use the warm Louisiana marshes annually as winter or stopover grounds. Coastal Louisiana also offers the largest catch of redfish and world-class opportunities for speckled trout, tuna, and bass—but this Sportsman’s Paradise is rapidly vanishing, especially in the Mississippi River Delta. 

The coastline is disappearing at a rate of one football field every 100 minutes. For America’s sportsmen and women, this is a conservation crisis of national importance.

Since 2009, the Vanishing Paradise program has been advocating for restoration of the Mississippi River Delta by raising awareness and educating members of Congress. There is no silver bullet solution to coastal crisis; it will take a variety of projects to reverse the land loss trend. Learn more by clicking on the informational boxes below.

A Degraded Gulf Coast

The Gulf of Mexico is home to approximately 15,000 unique species of wildlife, including many different types of salt- and freshwater fish and shellfish and millions of migratory waterfowl and neotropical birds every year. A wide variety of habitats support this abundance of wildlife, including wetlands, barrier islands, coral reefs and oyster beds.

Decades of mismanagement and the 2010 Gulf oil spill have wreaked havoc on Gulf Coast habitats. Restoration efforts are underway in each of the Gulf States, using once-in-a-lifetime funding opportunities from the oil spill legal settlements from the oil spill. These funds should be spent on projects that will benefit Gulf wildlife.