Chandeleur Island Restoration

Working with the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA), SWCA provided environmental services to support the planning, engineering, and design of a barrier island restoration project benefiting the Chandeleur Islands in coastal Louisiana and the many species that use them. The project focused on the restoration and protection of approximately 9 miles of the main Chandeleur Island system. SWCA developed and executed a rapid assessment seagrass survey plan to map and document the species composition and relative density of approximately 5,000 acres of Chandeleur Island seagrass beds. SWCA also worked with CPRA and other state and federal resource agencies to develop habitat restoration goals for nesting Kemp’s ridley and loggerhead sea turtles, other marine mammals, and seagrass beds. Information gained from this work was used to guide restoration design alternative development; understand and quantify the potential impacts and benefits to existing seagrass, sea turtles, and marine mammals; and predict changes in species composition and distribution related to the project.