Gulf Coast, Shipping, and Our Commitment to the Environment

The Gulf Coast of the United States constitutes one of the richest fisheries in the world. Over a billion dollars annually in shrimp, shellfish, and other marine species are harvested in the coastal waters of this region.  Unfortunately, both the wetlands and offshore waters of this zone face multiple environmental threats.

A large dead zone covering millions of acres is located off the mouth of the Mississippi River as chemical fertilizers wash downstream from farms.  The nutrients in the fertilizers spawn algae blooms, whose decay depletes oxygen, rendering a vast area void of life.

Millions of acres of marshlands have disappeared into the ocean due to erosion.  Channels have been dredged through the wetlands for oil and gas drilling, and other sorts of developments, such as marinas.  This causes large areas of land to wash away, and the sediment needed to replenish them is to a large extent being flushed out to sea by the Mississippi because of a levee system designed for river transportation and flood control.

Recognition of these problems and the need for action has been stimulated in recent years by the destruction wrought on New Orleans and surrounding regions by Hurricane Katrina, and the more recent blowout of BP’s deep sea oil well.  Long time residents of the region can recall the time when New Orleans was better protected from the ravages of hurricanes by extensive wetlands that are now gone.  The oil spill also devastated the local fishing and tourism industries along Gulf Coast beaches.

Efforts are now being made to help restore wetlands and control fertilizer runoff.  These procedures carry a heavy price, but bear no comparison to the cost in damages and in human life from such catastrophes as oil well blowouts and hurricanes.  Dredging is now being done not only to cut pathways through wetlands, but to restore them by creating berms to hold back the waves and allow the sea grass to regain footing.  Some of the cost of this is being borne by BP, which is being held liable for some of the damage to the area.

The solutions to the vexing problems of pollution and erosion will need to be long term in nature.  A predicted rise in sea levels in the coming years only makes the need for action more acute.  While higher and stronger levees can help protect New Orleans, the large expanse that is the Gulf Coast needs ongoing commitment from the shipping industry to succeed.  It is in their best interests to have thriving port cities that are protected by great expanses of marsh land.