2026 CSAP Research Projects Announced

Four students pursing master’s degrees in the fall will be new participants in the Coastal Science Assistantship Program (CSAP), a partnership between the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) and Louisiana Sea Grant that provides graduate students with up to three years’ financial support.

CSAP supports Master of Science students in science or engineering research relevant to Louisiana coastal protection efforts. This collaboration offers the dual benefit of engaging students in CPRA activities while potentially recruiting qualified personnel for the agency.

Louisiana Sea Grant administers these assistantships, available to all Louisiana university faculty to recruit outstanding students to coastal restoration-related research. Annually, up to four new students are chosen, based on the review of proposals, and awarded $30,000 each for up to three years. The latest projects are:

Quantifying Wetland Accretion and Change in Response to Storms through Statistical Analysis and Modeling

Student: To Be Determined (TBD)

Principal Investigator: Muriel Brückner; Louisiana State University (LSU), Department of Coastal and Ecological Engineering

Coastal marshes in the Mississippi River Delta are declining due to water movement patterns that affect sediment availability and erosion. Marsh growth depends on sediment supply, channel shape, water flow and plant density, as plants help trap sediment and slow erosion, though this effect varies seasonally. The research project aims to create a better understanding of long-term marsh growth by analyzing environmental factors, marsh characteristics and storm patterns, including hurricanes, using statistical methods and eco-morphodynamic modeling. This model simulates interactions among plants, water, sediment and land shape to provide understanding how marshes develop, change and survive over time.

Evaluating High Marsh Characteristics to Inform Restoration Design to Benefit the Threatened Eastern Black Rail

Student: TBD

PI: Erik Johnson; LSU School of Renewable Natural Resources

This project aims to protect the threatened eastern black rail (Laterallus jamaicensis jamaicensis) in Louisiana, where fewer than 70 breeding pairs remain, by improving and restoring its shrinking high marsh habitat which is threatened by sea level rise, storms and development. Using statistical models and point count data, researchers will identify key habitat features — such as elevation, landscape variation and soil characteristics — that differentiate where the birds can be found. The findings will guide marsh restoration and creation efforts under Louisiana’s Coastal Master Plan to better support black rails and help reduce coastal land loss and storm damage.

The Decadal Sustainability of the West Bay Sediment Diversion from Source to Sink

Student: Ros Visser, LSU, Department of Geology and Geophysics

PI: Emily Wei; LSU, Department of Geology and Geophysics

To slow land loss in the Lower Mississippi Delta, coastal managers have used dredged material to build marshes and created small freshwater diversions, such as the West Bay Sediment Diversion, which have shown short-term success but uncertain long-term results. Although previous studies found that considerable amounts of sediment were retained nearshore a few years after the creation of the diversion, it is unknown whether these projects can support lasting land growth over decades, as storms can transport nearshore sediment offshore. This study aims to better understand how much sediment is retained in the nearshore of the West Bay Sediment Diversion and how much bypasses the area to the submarine delta. Researchers will focus on quantifying sediment deposited in the submarine delta using sediment cores and Chirp (a type of sonar system) sub-bottom geophysical data collected through the MissDelta Project. This study will help evaluate how effective the West Bay Sediment Diversion has been over time and improve understanding of the timescales of sediment retention and offshore transport.

Multi-Scale LiDAR Assessment of Aquatic Vegetation Geometry of Hydrodynamic and Morphodynamic Modeling in the Lower Mississippi River

Student: TBD

PI: Tian Zhao, Mead Allison; Tulane University, Department of River-Coastal Science and Engineering

Coastal erosion is a major issue for Louisiana, particularly in the Mississippi Delta region. Marsh vegetation can reduce water flow and facilitate sediment retention, helping to increase the sustainability of these fragile wetlands. Remote sensing technologies like drone-based and airborne LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) can map the three-dimensional structure of vegetation across large areas, measuring features such as canopy height, density and overall shape. By combining a 2022 airborne LiDAR survey of the Lower Mississippi River in southeastern Louisiana with higher-resolution drone data and ground observations, this project aims to create more detailed vegetation data for the Mississippi Delta region to improve model projections that can be utilized in coastal restoration planning and design.