New Publication: Wetland Gain and Loss in the Mississippi River Bird‐Foot Delta
Sea level rise has attracted significant attention on the fate of the Mississippi River Bird‐foot Delta (MRBD) in future years. In this study, we measured the gain and loss of MRBD and found that: (a) The land of MRBD did not experience uniform shoreline retreat and deltaic inundation despite rapid relative sea level rise. (b) The net gain of land in the MRBD was only 1.21 km2 over the recent 32 years, with an actual land loss of about 159.62 km2 and a land gain of about 160.83 km2 . (c) Fluvial sediments supply significantly impacted land growth of the MRBD with a 1‐year lag. (d) Lateral erosion in the eastern and southeastern MRBD was caused by the persistent waves action from the east and south, and it was further exacerbated by narrowing of deltaic distributaries (Main Pass and Pass a Loutre), which directly hindered the transport of water and sediment into deltaic margins. The findings of this study can inform future restoration initiatives and contribute to the sustainable management of comparable deltaic wetland system across the world.