Oyster Production in BaratariaTerrebonne National Estuary:

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Oyster Production in Barataria-Terrebonne
National Estuary

• Coastal Erosion in LA
• Travis Warziniack
• UT Economics

2
Background

• GIS in Economics (travel costs)
• Natural Production Functions
• Louisiana Coastal Erosion

3
Size of the Problem

• Louisiana contains 35 of nations wetlands
• LA has lost 30 since 1900
• Another 80 will be lost by 2083
• 3 billion in estimated projects

Source
U.S. Geological Survey
4
Problems to Oyster Production

• Leases
• Oyster leases are given by geographic location
• Salinity
• Oyster Harvest f(salinity, ..)
• Salt water encroachment
• As coastline moves in/out salt water
  advances/retreats inland

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Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary
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Selected Gauging Stations
Quad 43 79 Leases (3-939 acres)
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Low Salinity
8
High Salinity open to predators and disease
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Estuary Salinity Levels
Low
High
Good
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Eye to the Future

• Missing Piece - Leases
• Future Monitoring
• Data and projects dont overlap
• Implications
• Oystermen which leases will be useless
• Policy can measure the FULL costs