A cypress swamp near Violet in St. Bernard Parish is a barren stretch of dead trees, the victims of saltwater intrusion. In areas where marsh loss is dropping off, fisheries experts expect the production of fish to drop off too. And waiting on the horizon is the specter of global climate change, which could cause much higher Gulf waters along the coast, flooding much of its remaining marshes. Gulf fishers of this generation may see collapses in fish populations that could wipe them out. The disintegration is providing the nutrients necessary to produce big crops, but only in the short term.
Erosion is only one element of the problem.
The marsh also is slowly sinking under its own weight, a phenomenon called subsidence that has accelerated due to development, levees and dredging. You can liken it to money in the bank. If you keep enough in the bank, you can live off the interest. Up to now, erosion has been confined to unpopulated areas. But this time communities are directly in the path of rising waters.