The coastlines and wetlands of Louisiana are disappearing at an alarming rate due to the combination of subsidence of land, erosion and rising sea levels. According to a recent article in the American Association of Geographers newsletter, erosion alone is causing losses of a football field-sized area every hour. This coastline once accounted for 40% of the nation’s marsh/swamp ecosystems, according to the article.  You can read more about the history of how this valuable area has changed here.

Source: Trish Hartmann, Commons Wikimedia