Defenders of Wildlife Blog

From the ever-growing dead zone to last year’s Deepwater Horizon oil disaster, it’s no secret that the Gulf of Mexico faces a world of trouble. But here’s something you might not know: every hour, an area of coastal wetland equivalent to the size of a football field disappears into Gulf waters. You read that right – every hour. And as any sports fans will tell you, that’s quite a lot of land. Already, 2,000 square miles of the Mississippi River Delta have slipped into the sea.

For the diverse wildlife that make the region’s coastal wetlands home, this loss is devastating. The wetlands at the mouth of the Delta provide habitat for a range of animals, including endangered species such as the Louisiana black bear, wood stork and snail kite. They’re crucial spawning grounds for fish in the Gulf, and also provide wintering habitat for migratory ducks.

And that’s not all – wetlands are important for people too. From decreasing flooding to acting as a buffer from storm surges, this ecosystem provides a natural defense against some of the worst nature can throw at us. The aquatic habitat also removes pollutants from water and recharges groundwater, providing us with a clean, reliable source of drinking water. Not to mention the financial benefits of healthy fisheries and coastal economies. Failure to protect this resource would be a tremendous loss.

Every hour, an area of coastal wetland equivalent to the size of a football field disappears into Gulf waters.

Fortunately, action is being taken to reverse this alarming trend. Right now, the Gulf Coast Restoration Task Force (created by President Obama in the aftermath of BP’s Deepwater Horizon oil disaster) is developing a plan to restore the Gulf shore to its former glory and strengthen it going into the future. How do they expect to tackle such an ominous feat? Well, one strategy is to simply let nature take its course.

In this image you can see where water and sediment from the Mississippi is washed into the Gulf of Mexico. Photo courtesy NASA.

Right now, levees direct water flowing from the Mississippi River far out into the Gulf of Mexico, where it carries the nutrients and sediment that result in the dead zone.  The Task Force is looking instead at diverting that river water back into its original destination — the Delta’s vast coastal wetlands. Doing so would not only rebuild previously washed-out habitat, but it would shrink the dead zone as well — simultaneously creating habitat on shore and off. Better yet, this strategy also happens to be the most budget-effective plan of action proposed so far, saving the region hundreds of billions of dollars.

That’s not to say this is a quick fix — restoring the Gulf region will not be easy. But letting this vibrant ecosystem fall into the ocean is simply not an option. By taking advantage of the natural flow of the Mississippi River, we can save time, money and energy, as well as the those who call the coast home.

Learn more:

Get more information about how wetlands are crucial to humans and wildlife. 

Read a more detailed account of the Gulf Task Force’s strategy to save the Gulf.

*NEW COLUMN*: A weekly homage to endangered species, large and small

Today is Endangered Species Day, and that means it’s time to pay homage to all those critters large and small, charismatic and not, that keep the world turning. Over the next several weeks, we’ll be highlighting a handful of imperiled plants and animals that benefit the environment and the economy, alternating each week between familiar and oft-forgotten wildlife. Each one is a vital part of the web of life that provides clean air, clean water and a healthy environment for generations to come. And each one should give us a chance to reflect on the incredible diversity of plants and animals that we are fighting to protect.

“Teddy’s” bear

Louisiana black bear (aka "Teddy's Bear")

To coincide with the end of Bear Awareness Week, we’re starting with the most iconic of all animals—the teddy bear.

Ever wonder where those cute and cuddly stuffed kids toys got their name? Back in 1902, President Theodore (“Teddy”) Roosevelt was on a hunting expedition down south and refused to shoot a Louisiana black bear that others had captured and tied to a tree. A newspaper cartoonist poked fun at the President by drawing a fuzzy, stuffed bear that he called “Teddy’s bear.” The name stuck.

The Louisiana black bear (Ursus americanus luteolus) is subspecies of the American black bear that was once found throughout the bottomland hardwood forests of eastern Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and southern Arkansas. At the time of President Roosevelt’s teddy bear incident, nearly all of them were gone and populations remained low throughout the 20^th century. By 1992 when the species was listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, just a few hundred survived as a result of habitat loss, poaching and vehicle collisions.

Today, Louisiana black bears are on a path to recovery thanks to increased awareness and local conservation efforts. Through the efforts of the Black Bear Conservation Committee, a coalition of local businesses, concerned citizens and wildlife agencies, bears have become a source of pride and a hot commodity. Each year, between 5,000 and 7,000 people attend the Bayou Teche Bear Festival in St. Mary Parish, Louisiana, to learn about bears, take field trips and enjoy good food and music. The festival was named the #1 “Best New Event” in 2006 by the Louisiana Association of Fairs and Festivals and has since expanded to include bird watching as well.

Other towns are getting in on the action too. Some 6,000 people attend the Great Delta Bear Affair in Rolling Hills, Mississippi to tour local wilderness areas and give their best Roosevelt impersonation.

In 2001, wildlife watching in Louisiana totaled nearly $370 million even before the influx of tourism dollars for the bear festival. It’s investments like these that make wildlife conservation a boon to local economies in addition to a vital part of the environment.

Click here to learn more about what Defenders is doing to protect America’s bears.

Celebrate Endangered Species Day!

If you’re not already partying down for ES Day, take a look at this list of events. Defenders is officially partaking in at least two of these (listed below), so drop on by if you’re in the neighborhood.

Endangered Species Day Fair in DC
Friday, May 20, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. (Stop by the Defenders table!)
U.S. Botanic Garden
100 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20001
Washington, DC 20001

Live Wolverine and Movie at ZooMontana
Meet Cass, a wolverine from ZooMontana then watch PBS Nature’s feature documentary, “Chasing the Phantom.” Stay for a panel discussion with the film’s director and other wolverine experts including Defenders own David Gaillard.

Friday, May 20, 5:30 p.m.
2100 S Shiloh Road
Billings, MT
Get more details here.

Get the Bear Facts

Download our Saving America’s Bears fact sheet to learn about the threats facing bears in the United States today, what Defenders of Wildlife is doing to protect them—and what you can do to help.