WorkBoat
A new study from The Water Institute aims to help The Greater Lafourche Port Commission leadership find the best use of dredge material resulting from Port Fourchon dredging and expansion. Results will help improve the resilience of the port, serve long-term needs of local communities, and improve the ecosystem. The work was done using a “community-informed transdisciplinary approach,” meaning local community members joined with research scientists in order to develop a series of coastal projects that would help protect port infrastructure, provide ecosystem services, improve area resilience, and quantify carbon-capture benefits. The Port Fourchon facility plays a role in the importation of about 20% of the nation’s oil supply while also being located at the dynamic intersection of Bayou Lafourche and the Gulf of Mexico. Being on the coast is vital to the port, but it also brings challenges since the area experiences some of the highest relative sea level rise rates, shoreline erosion, and land loss in the U.S.. More here.