ASSESSMENT OF WETLAND DYNAMICS AND LOSS IN TERREBONNE PARISH USING REMOTE SENSING

Abstract. The coast of Louisiana is a major zone of the Gulf of Mexico and an ecologically critical area for both carbon sequestration and habitation of diverse ecosystems. The ten major marine sectors each have annual GDPs of tens of billions of dollars annually. In 2019 alone, these sectors provided 2.4 million high-paying jobs, 397 billion in goods and services and another estimated 667.5 billion in sales. Aside these obvious benefits that coastal wetlands provide, they also help to reduce inland flooding and coastal erosion. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), about 32% of Louisiana alone is made up of wetlands. The U.S. Geological Survey estimates that Louisiana has been losing wetlands since the late 1930’s and that the current rate of loss will result in total wetland loss in another two hundred years. Satellite data were obtained from Landsat 8 satellite imaging. The data was trained and processed using QGIS free software to produce maps. The maps were then analyzed and interpreted. The results of this study affirmed a gradual decline in wetland area with a major increase in vegetation cover in Dulac, supporting some findings by the USGS in 2017 which classified Louisiana’s current rate of as low compared to the 1930’s and 1970’s. However, wetland dynamics is a complex series of events that occur over time and requires constant tracking and monitoring to provide evidence-based practical and applicable results that will suit the ever-emerging dynamics of management, policymaking, restoration, and management of wetlands themselves.