Seasonal Surveys of Shorebird and Coastal Waterbird Utilization of Dredged Material Islands in the Baptiste Collette Bayou, Louisiana
With suitable coastal habitat at a premium, land managers and conservation planners are in critical need of tools that can help address habitat loss and increase avian population sizes. One possible solution is to utilize coastal engineering that can build and maintain coastal infrastructure to sustain wildlife and enhance habitats. Understanding how existing dredge spoil islands and maintenance programs, such as those in Baptiste Collette Bayou, may benefit avian populations, for instance the federally listed Piping Plover and Red Knot, is key to striking the balance between engineering for human infrastructure/hydrology needs and to create/enhance critical habitat that can support wildlife populations.