Louisiana marine debris removal sites
Species Benefiting From Restoration:
• Brown shrimp (Farfantepenaeus aztecus)
• White shrimp (Linaepenaeus setiferus)
• Speckled trout (Cynoscion nebulosus)
• Red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus)
• Southern flounder (Paralichthys lethostigma)
• Blue crab (Callinectes sapidus)
• Bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus)
• Smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora)
• Saltmeadow cordgrass (Spartina patens)
Acres of Habitat To be Restored:
In all, the project is anticipated to restore up to
130 acres of estuarine habitat, re-open up to 2 miles
of fish access within a natural bayou system
Project Summary:
The Gulf of Mexico Foundation will partner with Louisiana’s Barataria-Terrebonne
National Estuary Program (BTNEP)
to remove
hurricane-related marine debris from five critical locations throughout the Barataria Basin.
The sites, listed above, will engage the use of approximately 600 community volunteers during 20 clean-up events
to remove woody debris and solid waste from marine ecosystems. Larger debris has already been removed using FEMA
and other federal and state sources; however, a significant amount of debris remains throughout the estuary that
threatens to choke marine habitat and impede fishery access. Under supervision of park and refuge personnel,
volunteers will use manual labor and light equipment to remove debris which will be disposed using trailers
and dumpsters. One of the five sites will require the contracting of heavy equipment (i.e., barge and excavator)
to remove debris from a heavily clogged major bayou within the Jean Lafitte National Park.
Community Involvement:
BTNEP will be responsible for coordinating volunteer events and the Gulf of Mexico Foundation will serve as the
grant administrator. Both organizations will utilize their significant outreach resources to provide project
education and information materials, and will distribute these materials via conferences, symposia, websites
and newsletters. This project will result in approximately 6,000 volunteer hours. BTNEP has one the largest
volunteer bases within the state, and volunteers for this effort will include, in part, Junior Rangers, ROTC,
Nicholls State University, Better Swamps and Gardens, and the Boy Scouts.
SITE VISIT BOAT RIDE VIDEO