Coastlines of the Gulf of Mexico Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi
Shoreline Characteristics State Louisiana Mississippi Alabama Tidal Shoreline(mi)
Island Morphology Barrier Island Chain -created after last glacial epoch (15,000yr ago) -decrease in sea level -increase in fluvial and marine sedimentation -microtidal (0-2m) -extensive tidal marsh habitat
Coastal Features and Waterways Louisiana Rivers-Atchafalaya, Mississippi, Pearl Alabama Rivers-Alabama, Tom Brigbee, Mississippi Rivers-Pearl
Recent Developments Dramatic increases in nutrient loads -eutrophication -decreases in primary productivity -Wetland habitat in rapid decline -decrease in water quality -losses to commercial fishing
Governmental Response Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) -assessment of pollutants in major rivers -management plan to improve water quality Estuarine Reserve Program -modeling of individual systems -protection from development
References ap.html estuaries states Maps-US Atlantic and Gulf Coast (NOAA) Publications- EPA, The Ecological Condition of Estuaries in the Gulf of Mexico