Coastal wetlands, marshes, and forests provide important protection against hurricanes. The disappearance of coastal ecosystems in the Mississippi Delta meant that Hurricane Katrina brought far more destruction to Louisiana than would have been felt if the coastal marshes and other ecosystems had been protected.

© Annie Griffiths Belt

Coastal wetlands, marshes, and forests provide important protection against hurricanes. The disappearance of coastal ecosystems in the Mississippi Delta meant that Hurricane Katrina brought far more destruction to Louisiana than would have been felt if the coastal marshes and other ecosystems had been protected.

© Annie Griffiths Belt