ARE OIL SPILLS THE BIGGEST THREAT TO SEA MARSHES, OR ARE THERE OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL THREATS?
SP: The main threat to Gulf coast sea marshes is sea level rise and subsidence of the coast, so a lot of the coast is sinking because of extraction of oil or water from beneath the sediments. Along the Mississippi River you have a lot of the sediments which used to come off of the river that are being diverted offshore now. They are not getting out and building wetlands as they used to so marsh acreage is disappearing very rapidly, especially in Louisiana and the areas where the Mississippi River used to be feeding the marshes with sediment. The habitats are disappearing very quickly. They will cut channels to get oil rigs into places and that alters the water through the marsh and in ways that are sometimes destructive. About the University of Houston The University of Houston is a comprehensive national research institution serving the globally competitive Houston and Gulf Coast Region by providing world-class faculty, experiential learning and strategic industry partnerships. UH ser
