Grand Terre Island
From: Allrefer.com, 2003; Louisiana State Park, 2003; The Advocate Online, 2003
Grand Terre Island is a irregularly shaped island located in the southeast Louisiana between Barataria Bay and Gulf of Mexico. These barrier islands at the mouth of Barataria Bay provide critical protection to the inner marshes to the north and provides critical habitat for estuarine dependent fish and invertebrate species. The island area is facing some of the highest erosion rates in the Louisiana coastal system. There has been gulfside erosion rates calculated in excess of 15.54 meters per year over the last decade. Expected to disappear by the year 2050 without intervention, the eastern side of the island has been reduced from 9 square km in 1884 to 3 square km in 1998. Various restoration projects are currently underway to protect the island. The Grand Isle State Park is located on the far east of the island and is the only state-owned and operated beach on the Louisiana Gulf Coast. The park offers excellent opportunities for fishing, crabbing, sunning, camping and nature watching.
Grand Terre Island provides a favorable habitat for migratory and nesting birds. Common birds found here include tanagers, pelicans and buntings. The most common vegetation comprise of salt marshes and salt grasses.