RESTORE Act Center of 

Excellence for Louisiana 

(LA-COE)

Jessica R. Henkel, PhD

Director

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Mission: To support research directly relevant 

to implementation of Louisiana’s Coastal 

Master Plan by administering a competitive 

grants program and providing the appropriate 

coordination and oversight to ensure that 

success metrics are tracked and achieved.

LA-COE PROGRAM

coastal.la.gov

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2014

Water Institute 

Named

LA-COE by CPRA

2015

Establish LA-COE 

Program

2016

RFP1 Released

2017

RFP1 Awards 

Announced

2020

RFP1 Projects 

Completed

2021

RFP2 Released

2021

RFP2 Awards 

Announced

2022

RFP2 Projects 

Underway

2023

RFP2 Projects 

Completed

2024

RFP3 Released

LA-COE TIMELINE

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RFP1 - $3 million for 

12 projects 

(all completed by October 

31, 2020)

RFP2 - $2.3 million for 

8 projects 

(August 1, 2021 – present)

FUNDED PROJECTS

RFP2 (N=8)

RFP1 (N=12)

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LA-COE Google Scholar to track publications

https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=0j3dGmQAAAAJ

TRACKING OUR IMPACTS

Cited by

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RFP1 AND RFP 2 RESEARCH TOPICS

Sediment Dynamics

Hydrodynamic Modeling

Physical Climatic Processes

Geotechnical Engineering

Deltaic Modeling

Geomorphology

Coastal Restoration

Nutrients, Vegetation, Soil

Terrestrial and Aquatic Fauna

Sea Level Rise

Flood Risk Modeling

Migration Modeling

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INSERT IMAGE HERE

2023 COASTAL MASTER PLAN

COMMITTED TO OUR COAST

September 14, 2023

Utilization of research in the 

implementation of the 

Louisiana Coastal Master Plan

SUMMER LANGLOIS

COASTAL.LA.GOV/OUR-PLAN | MASTERPLAN@LA.GOV
2023 COASTAL MASTER PLAN 8

LOUISIANA CENTER OF EXCELLENCE MISSION

More info: thewaterinstitute.org/la-coe
2023 COASTAL MASTER PLAN 9

COASTAL MASTER PLAN - DEVELOPMENT

• Guiding document for comprehensive coastal restoration and storm surge flood risk reduction

• Built on world class science and engineering

• More than just projects – affiliated programs and initiatives

PROJECTS MODELING PRIORITIZATION

More info: coastal.la.gov/our-plan/2023-coastal-master-plan/
2023 COASTAL MASTER PLAN 10

COASTAL MASTER PLAN - PROJECTS

12 Structural Risk Reduction Projects

$11B for Nonstructural Risk Reduction

65 Restoration Projects
2023 COASTAL MASTER PLAN 11

COASTAL MASTER PLAN - IMPLEMENTATION

• Adaptive Management Cycle

• Research informs all phases

- Address uncertainties and knowledge gaps

- Develop new tools and techniques

- Improve understanding of systems and project effects

- Improve program effectiveness

• Examples of LA-COE Research usage in 

process....

- First funding cycle (RFP1) – complete 2020

- Second funding cycle (RFP2) – complete late 2023
2023 COASTAL MASTER PLAN 12

MODEL IMPROVEMENT

• Many models, esp. in Planning and Feasibility

• Continually improved using research

- Processes being simulated

- Better datasets to drive models

- Data to calibrate and validate models 

RFP1 Research: Evaluation of Radar-based Precipitation 

Datasets for Applications in the Coastal Master Plan

(PI) Dr. Emad Habib – University of Louisiana at Lafayette

• Evaluated quality of high resolution radar-based 

datasets as replacement for rain gage datasets

• Datasets useful, esp. for longer time-period estimates

• Used to drive ICM and project-specific models

Coastal Master Plan Predictive Models

Rainfall accumulation maps (in millimeters) for two datasets for January to August 2018. 

From: Habib and ElSaadani (2020).
2023 COASTAL MASTER PLAN 13

HABITAT CREATION

Variables affecting pelican nesting success. From: Leberg et al. (2019)

RFP1 Research: Assessment of Coastal Island Restoration 

Practices for the Creation of Brown Pelican Nesting Habitat

(PI) Dr. Paul Leberg – University of Louisiana at Lafayette

• Quantified effect of restored island characteristics on 

nesting success

• Extensive use of restored islands; predators a factor on 

larger, higher elevation islands near “mainland”

• Information useful for design of restored island nesting 

habitat

• Restoration projects also create habitat

• Research informs Engineering & Design to 

improve capacity to support native flora and fauna

• What factors control habitat utilization?
2023 COASTAL MASTER PLAN 14

COASTAL FLOOD RISK

Flood Depths, Future Without Action 

1% Annual Exceedance Probability, Lower Scenario, Year 50 

Difference in Flood Depths: Future With Action minus Future Without Action 

1% Annual Exceedance Probability, Lower Scenario, Year 50 

• ADCIRC + SWAN: Predicts water levels from storms

• CLARA: Estimates flood depths and economic damages

• Evaluated range of future environmental scenarios

• Projects assessed based on reductions to:

- Storm surge-based flooding

- Expected annual damages in dollars and to structures
2023 COASTAL MASTER PLAN 15

COASTAL FLOOD RISK – FUNDED RESEARCH

RFP1 Research: Enhancing Flood Hazard Assessments in Coastal Louisiana 

through Coupled Hydrologic and Surge Processes

Dr. Matthew Bilskie – University of Georgia

RFP2 Research: Migration and flooding in coastal Louisiana

Dr. Robert Habans – The Data Center

• Research used to....

• Understand coastal flooding and effects now and 

in future

• Understand how populations, assets, economies 

respond to increasing flood risk

• Help evaluate and prioritize risk reduction projects
THANK YOU