An introduction to the evaluation of restoration for avian species at Caminada Headland and Whiskey Island in Louisiana
Barrier islands are crucial for protecting Louisiana’s coastal communities and ecosystems as they reduce coastal erosion and help safeguard native flora and fauna. Along the Louisiana shoreline, these islands are mostly long and thin, running parallel to the shoreline. The islands typically consist of the following components: 1) a sandy beach facing the Gulf of Mexico; 2) vegetated and non-vegetated dunes; 3) overwash areas; 4) swales; 5) upland shrubs; 6) wetland shrubs, such as black mangrove (Avicennia germinans); 7) backbay marshes; and 8) tidal flats. Dune vegetation and vegetation along the back-barrier help bind and collect sediment, which create and maintain wetlands on the north side of the barrier islands. Barrier islands provide various ecological services including: 1) buffering waves to decrease storm impacts; 2) protecting wetlands that provide suitable reproductive habitat and nursery grounds for fish and shellfish; and 3) providing critical habitat for birds and sea turtles (Barbier 2013).