Disappearing: An archive of land loss in coastal Louisiana

Disappearing: An archive of land loss in coastal Louisiana

The striking photography of world-renowned Virginia Beahan celebrates the beauty of Louisiana’s disappearing wetlands and bayous and spotlights how they are worth protecting and restoring for future generations.

Profound changes in the balance between land accretion and erosion southeastern Louisiana are adversely affecting the lives and economies of the people who live there.

These changes—caused by hurricanes, saltwater intrusion, and sea level rise, combined with the building of levees and flood control barriers along the Mississippi River—have spawned dozens of mitigation efforts involving sediment diversion, reforestation, and other coastal resilience programs.