We’re making a commitment to inform you, our readers, about the parts of climate change that are within your spheres of influence.

PORT FOURCHON, La. (AP) — Port officials have begun clearing a shipping channel in Louisiana after sediments pushed into the waterway by hurricanes made the water too shallow for some vessels to pass safely.

Work is under way to construct a permanent floodgate on Bayou Chene near Morgan City, La., that will provide backwater flood protection for six parishes in the path of Mississippi and Atchafalaya river overflows that result from high water events.

VICKSBURG, Miss. (AP) — The Army Corps of Engineers says thousands of people have sent comments about a proposal for huge pumps to drain floodwaters from parts of the rural Mississippi Delta.

QUEEN BESS ISLAND, La. (AP) — After Louisiana officials finished restoring 37-acre Queen Bess Island in February, much of the vegetation planted on its small footprint of newly pumped sand didn’t have time to take root before more than 6,000 brown pelicans arrived for breeding season.

HARLINGEN — Federal and state officials have announced a major windfall of $5.6 million for restoration of wetlands and protection of bird nesting sites at the Bahia Grande Unit of Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge.

I’m all for improving the overall well-being of the Atchafalaya Basin.

Louisiana coastal officials are pushing the state’s congressional delegation to support an expected emergency supplemental appropriation bill aimed at this year’s record-breaking hurricane season to provide money for emergency repairs to beaches, barrier islands and other wetland restoration projects.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Nueces County Coastal Parks Director Scott Cross says, if the weather is nice, crowds flock to coastal beaches every year during the Thanksgiving holiday period.

Texas Congressman, Filemon Vela, has announced that the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have awarded $150,000 to the City of South Padre Island as part of the National Coastal Resilience Fund (NCRF).

A federal court says the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers can’t demolish a dam downriver from Augusta if it doesn’t maintain the current water level.

The team will identify facilities at risk for flood-induced chemical spills and support efforts to mitigate potential impacts on nearby communities.

Ross Wood took the oath of office on November 2 to become the new mayor of Grove Hill and got to work focusing on the small town’s Hurricane Zeta clean-up.

With ample public feedback, the Army Corps of Engineers is now re-evaluating which projects to push forward to reduce flooding along Buffalo Bayou.

A lattice work of marsh and canals, the Louisiana coastline, is vanishing.

Gov. John Bel Edwards announced the Louisiana Trustee Implementation Group (LA TIG) has approved $234.6 million in funds resulting from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill settlement for restoration projects that will create and restore wetlands in Plaquemines and Terrebonne Parishes.

Glenn Parsons and Richard Buchholz lead new Gulf of Mexico Citizen Scientist Initiative

Four Native American tribes on Louisiana’s Gulf Coast requested United Nations assistance this year to force action by the U.S. government on invading salt.

The twin challenges of low oil prices and uncertain demand recovery that has resulted from the coronavirus pandemic this year – which with more clarity might lift prices somewhat –did not appear to dampen operator enthusiasm for obtaining US Gulf of Mexico acreage during that region’s offshore lease sale Nov. 18.

In response to the commentary by Armin Cantini (“Coastal study of storm-surge system deserves support,” The Daily News, Nov. 13): The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Texas General Land Office are proposing a multi-billion tax dollar-funded two-mile long gate system across the mouth of Galveston Bay and levees in Galveston and Port Bolivar to “keep storm surge in the Gulf.”

While Louisiana will not receive any additional funds with the release of the second phase of the latest RESTORE Act funding plan, Louisiana is expected to receive $1 million to fund various research and planning initiatives.

Governor Kay Ivey announced Thursday that $25,970,000 million worth of projects on Alabama’s coastline have been funded by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF).

Oil industry interests expressed optimism after Wednesday's Gulf of Mexico lease sale attracted more winning bids than the last one.

The U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) on Tuesday proposed offering approximately 78.2 million acres for a region-wide Gulf of Mexico (GOM) lease sale scheduled for March 2021.

More than 21 days after Hurricane Zeta carved through Alabama, county and city officials are asking: Where is the federal disaster declaration?

Billions poured into restoration efforts

In the postelection chaos that gripped the nation, many readers may have missed last week’s historic announcement by Gov. Jon Bel Edwards: Louisiana is going to join the energy industry!

An oil rig taller than the Empire State Building is now undergoing conversion into a habitat-boosting artificial reef about 50 miles south of Grand Isle.

WASHINGTON — The Gulf Research Program (GRP) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine today announced grant awards totaling $5.27 million for six new projects. These projects, planned to span two to three years, aim to improve understanding of how natural processes and human activities interact to affect coastal ecosystems in the U.S. Gulf Coast region.

Ten years after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the state is slowly pushing billions in settlement dollars towards coastal restoration.

Grön Fuels LLC, a portfolio company of Fidelis Infrastructure is studying the feasibility of a renewable fuel complex at the Port of Greater Baton Rouge.

Officials have finalized the feasibility study for a coastal barrier that would protect Galveston Bay and its surrounding communities from hurricanes, and residents have a chance to weigh in on the plan before it goes to the U.S. Congress.

Following the recent coastal impacts of Hurricanes Delta and Laura, Mississippi State University is reaching out to help affected families in numerous ways.

Today, Gov. John Bel Edwards announced a renewable energy initiative for the Gulf of Mexico, with plans to harness Louisiana's strengths in offshore energy production for the development of wind power, the nation's No. 1 source of renewable energy.

The Army Corps of Engineers is considering whether potential environmental impacts require it to change, suspend or revoke the permit for a $9.4 billion plastics complex planned in Louisiana by a Taiwan company, U.S. Department of Justice lawyers said Wednesday.

These are exciting times for the U.S. dredging industry, as companies respond to growing demand.

An $863 million effort to improve hurricane flood protection and resiliency, including levees and floodwalls, for a 65-square-mile area that includes Port Arthur, Texas, and adjacent communities will move forward under a contract awarded to a joint venture of Freese and Nichols, COWI and CDM Smith (FCC-JV) by the U.S. Corps of Engineers Galveston District and Jefferson County Drainage District No. 7 for some of the work.

More than two dozen environmental groups have asked the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Texas General Land Office for more time to comment on a new plan for a storm-surge barrier on the Texas coast.

A growing conflict over Louisiana’s but largest but perhaps least-known commercial fishery came to a head this week when state leaders rejected a plan to restrict large-scale menhaden fishing near the state’s coastline.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plans to temporarily suspend a permit critical for the construction of a $9.4 billion chemical complex proposed in St. James Parish in hopes of addressing criticisms raised by environmental and community groups.

Hurricane Michael was the first category 5 storm to hit the U.S. since Hurricane Andrew in 1992, with the third lowest pressure ever recorded for a landfalling storm in the Atlantic Basin.

HUD approves GLO state action plans for 2018 and 2019 disaster funding allocations

Kelli Scardino's little restaurant, Yum's Cafe, sits on one of the highest and widest spots on this exceedingly low and narrow island. When it comes to hurricanes, Yum's is what constitutes as Grand Isle's "safe ground."

Catastrophe risk modeller Karen Clark & Company (KCC) has estimated that the insured loss to onshore properties caused by Hurricane Zeta will be close to $4.4 billion.

GRAND ISLE, La. -- Zeta's remnants moved off the northeastern U.S. coast Thursday night, but its effects were evident Friday through a swath of the Southeast.

Rising sea levels and more frequent hurricanes are a much bigger threat to the country than immigrants.

BATON ROUGE - November 30, the final day of hurricane season can't come soon enough for Louisianians after a record five named storms have hit the state this year.

A Collier County beach renourishment project on Naples shores is set to begin early next month.

The Army Corps of Engineers has released the second draft of proposed coastal barrier that would fundamentally alter the southeast Texas coastline, with massive sea gates across the Houston Ship Channel and 43 miles of dunes and renourished beaches spanning Bolivar Peninsula and Galveston.

Hurricane Hanna caused major damage to the dune system along the coast and all the storms thereafter have made that damage even worse.

This is the only known site where a coastal ice age forest this old has been preserved in place, with thousands of trees still rooted in the dirt they were growing millennia ago before being reclaimed by the Gulf of Mexico.

The Coast Guard has all but closed Louisiana ports as Hurricane Zeta closes in on the Gulf Coast.

As Huricane Zeta menaces the Gulf Coast, residents know the drill: Board up windows, clear storm drains, gas up the car and stock up on water, batteries and canned goods. But how does wildlife ride out a hurricane?

Oil major BP on Sunday started evacuating workers from four of its Gulf of Mexico platforms ahead of the Tropical Storm Zeta.

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Damage from Hurricanes Laura and Delta has prompted Louisiana to extend the deadline for fisheries' workers and businesses to apply for help under a coronavirus pandemic program.

NOAA’s Office of Coast Survey has concluded its hydrographic survey response following Hurricane Delta.

A proclamation issued Wednesday honors the 30th anniversary of legislation that has fueled Louisiana’s fight against coastal erosion.

Fallen trees are still piled up in Mobile and Baldwin Counties, more than a month after Hurricane Sally struck the Alabama Gulf Coast.

Gulf Islands National Seashore has completed damage assessments and all Mississippi barrier islands are now open for visitor access, except the Ship Island pier remains closed due to Hurricane Sally damage and the Ship Island facilities including restrooms and the water system are closed per routine seasonal closures.

The first liquefied natural gas tanker to go to Cameron LNG’s export plant in Louisiana since Hurricane Delta was set to arrive on Tuesday.

The grant will be matched with $540,000 in local funds and is expected to create 85 jobs and generate $175 million in private investment.

Approximately 3 million people go fishing in the Gulf of Mexico every year. The Gulf is one of the most ecologically diverse bodies of water, offering first-time fishers and expert anglers alike the chance to see sharks, dolphins, sea turtles, and more.

The law of supply and demand is not working in coastal Louisiana's favor.

A previous report said huge pumps at the confluence of the Yazoo and Mississippi rivers would hurt wetlands.

(Reuters) - The Trump administration on Thursday said it would offer all available areas in the Gulf of Mexico for auction to oil and gas drillers on Nov. 18, the first major test of the offshore sector’s appetite for investment since early this year.

Oceana Celebrates New Protections for Over a Dozen Deep-Sea Coral Areas

The future is uncertain for the coastal Louisiana region where two hurricanes made landfall six weeks apart

Catastrophe risk modeling firm AIR Worldwide estimates that industry insured losses to onshore property resulting from Hurricane Delta’s winds and storm surge will range from USD 1 billion to USD 3 billion.

Texas A&M landscape architecture professor Galen Newman is seeking solutions to devastating flood events.

A new program will foot part of the cost Louisiana shrimp fishermen will have to pay for mandated devices that prevent sea turtles from getting trapped in their nets.

US oil and natural gas producers are redeploying staff to offshore platforms and restarting operations after Hurricane Delta's pass through the region late last week.

Just as Louisiana begins an ambitious slate of projects to rebuild its crumbling coastline, the essential ingredients — sea sand and river silt — will be harder to come by.

Louisiana on Sunday was picking up the pieces after Hurricane Delta swept through, wreaking havoc on a region already devastated by Hurricane Laura six weeks ago.

Real estate is the most valuable asset most people will ever possess, and insuring against natural disasters like floods and storms is common sense.

SOUTH PADRE ISLAND — There wasn’t much of a beach to access at South Padre Island’s Beach Access 5 on Friday morning.

HOUSTON (Reuters) - Large and powerful Hurricane Delta dealt the greatest blow to U.S. offshore Gulf of Mexico energy production in 15 years, halting most of the region’s oil and nearly two-thirds of natural gas output.

Superfund sites, like Mississippi Phosphates in Pascagoula, face big risks when major storms hit. However, preparations are taken for storms of all sizes. When Hurricane Sally was projected to hit Pascagoula, the 70 engineers, managers and construction workers at the former plant, which is the largest active superfund site in the Southeast, put their disaster plan into action.

Hurricane Delta struck the Yucatan Peninsula region of Mexico yesterday, causing damage to properties including in the high-value Cancun resort region. The hurricane weakened slightly, but has since intensified again after emerging fully over the Gulf of Mexico.

WASHINGTON - Environmental protections in the United States steadily increased for nearly half a century, removing toxic waste from rivers that once caught fire and reducing smog-causing air pollution that choked cities and their residents.

Alabama beach communities that are still recovering from Hurricane Sally warned residents Tuesday to get ready for rapidly strengthening Hurricane Delta, which is forecast to hit the Gulf Coast later this week.

Sport-fishing groups and federal officials say mandating that offshore anglers carry a simple $12 tool could help sustain red snapper and other fish stocks in the Gulf of Mexico.

During the past several months, Mississippians have faced many challenging situations. One way that we can embark on a path to recovery to grow our economy, create jobs and support our industries is by increasing the production of sustainable seafood through aquaculture.

Pieces coming together for sustainable production along the Gulf Coast

GULF SHORES, Ala. (AP) — Alabama’s beaches have reopened, but the state’s coast has hardly recovered fully from the effects of Hurricane Sally last month.

The state is undertaking two “record-breaking” restoration projects aimed at reviving 7 square miles of coastal habitat and bolstering natural storm defenses east of New Orleans and near Venice in lower Plaquemines Parish.

Terence O’Rourke has spent a decade warning officials a storm making landfall directly in Galveston Bay could be much worse than even Harvey.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A dredging vessel at a Texas port hit a natural gas pipeline Friday, sparking an explosion that sent six people to the hospital and left four others missing, authorities said.

PORT ARANSAS — For generations of Texans, our very first memory of summer at the beach begins with driving aboard a tiny ferry at a place called Harbor Island, last stop on the Texas mainland. Turning off the engine and setting the brake, we have rolled down our windows, filling our noses with moist salt air and our ears with the screeches of seagulls. Kids jump out to stare over the side at the frolicking of the little sand trout. The boat docks in Port Aransas only a few minutes later, which means one thing: sunny vacation on the world’s longest barrier island.

If you’ve visited Destin’s beaches recently, the city wants to hear about it.

Tallahassee, Fla.— Today, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced the selection of sites in federal waters off Florida in the Gulf of Mexico as one of the first locations designated as Aquaculture Opportunity Areas.

Construction will begin later this year on a $400 million lock in the Houma Navigation Canal that serves as the linchpin to Terrebonne Parish's hurricane-protection system.

CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS — Coast Guard crews and partner agencies continue pollution and salvage response Sunday for the dredging vessel Waymon L Boyd in Corpus Christi, Texas.

Offshore companies have started to evacuate workers from production platforms and drilling rigs in the Gulf of Mexico ahead of Hurricane Marco and Tropical Storm Laura.

This week, Laura could bring Louisiana its first landfall from a Category 3 or stronger hurricane in 15 years, since Hurricane Rita throttled parts of the state.

As Tropical Storm Laura powers up the Gulf of Mexico, bringing the risk of “life-threatening storm surge” to the Texas Gulf Coast including Galveston, an ambitious and costly proposal for protecting the area from a massive storm continues to slowly grind its way through the federal approval process.

The one-two punch of tropical storms Marco and Laura along the U.S. Gulf coast eerily echoes Hurricane Katrina’s arrival 15 years ago, on August 29, 2005.

Tuesday, Phil Bedient kept checking noaa.gov for the most up-to-date information on Hurricane Laura, which was gathering strength in the 90-degree Gulf of Mexico.

BAY CITY, MI — State officials have resumed testing the water of Saginaw Bay and the beaches lining it.

Hurricane Laura is forecast to rapidly power up into a “catastrophic” Category 4 hurricane, even stronger than previously expected, as it churns toward Texas and Louisiana, swirling wind and water over much of the Gulf of Mexico.

Please see the latest analysis for the Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines at Western Carolina University. We will be following the storm closely and will be releasing follow-up products post-storm.