Development of a Framework for the Analysis of Feedbacks and Linkages between Functioning and Management of Louisiana Coastal Zone and the Broader Ecological and Economic System

Tides, storm fronts, hurricanes and powerful storms, annual and great river floods, and shifting deltaic lobes have some effect on the ecological, economic and geological health of the Louisiana coastal zone. Global climate change and sea level rise also have some effect, as does human population through resource depletion and environmental degradation. The project will analyze quantitative and qualitative linkages between the Louisiana coastal zone and these broader forces to address the hypothesis that success or failure of coastal management programs largely depends on considerations of global factors. The project will also assess the cost-effectiveness of on-going coastal restoration projects within the context of these broader forces to address the hypothesis that environmental problems in the Louisiana coastal zone can be managed by ecological engineering methods.