Introduction: Perspectives on the Restoration of the Mississippi Delta

Abstract

The purpose of this book is to show how the neglected and degraded landscape of the Mississippi River Delta might be brought back to life. It consists of a collection of scientific essays that focus on applying the results of a new era of scientific discovery to the prospect of large-scale delta restoration. These essays were written by members of the Science and Engineering Special Team (SEST), a group of experts chaired by Dr. John W. Day, Jr., that began to meet in the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon disaster of 2010. While this new disaster focused attention on the iconic Birdsfoot Delta, it became clear that few were aware of the way it and the rest of the Mississippi River Delta is being managed into oblivion, largely with public tax dollars and the activities of resource users. The authors seek not only to provide information on ways to halt the ongoing loss of coastal wetlands, but also on how to restore the delta as a fully functional geological and ecological system. The eleven essays contained in this book address some of the challenges facing this process, and we hope it will make a positive contribution to present and future delta restoration efforts.