How to get involved. Louisiana has vegetated marsh being converted to open water at the rate of about 35 square miles per year. In the past, it has been as high as 50 square miles per year. Locally speaking, the most powerful element in the economy is tourism.
Coastal loss is also a huge cultural issue in Louisiana.
Coastal populations basically define themselves on the basis of their direct and indirect relationship with coastal wetlands. In fact, the population of coastal Louisiana is often called the Gumbo Culture. Gumbo is a wonderful dish that we enjoy that is basically a mixture of certain foods and seasoning that are cooked slowly while the seasons marry. Cajun, French, Native American, Spanish, German, Isle o, Filipino, African, Vietnamese, Croatian, and more. As we have shared in the wealth of coastal Louisiana, our cultures have married - thus the Gumbo Culture.