The Chandeleur Islands, a narrow chain of unpopulated barrier islands east of New Orleans in the Gulf of Mexico, have lost nearly 90% of their landmass due to intense weather events, most notably Hurricane Georges in 1998 and Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and other factors such as erosion. The 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill further damaged the habitat, impacting millions of birds, plants, and aquatic species.

Historically, the islands are known as a premier recreational fishing destination and serve as a critical storm surge barrier for some of southeast Louisiana’s most densely populated areas.

The islands are part of the Breton National Wildlife Refuge, the second-oldest federal refuge in the United States. They gained historical importance in July 1915 when Theodore Roosevelt visited the islands, marking his only visit to a wildlife refuge. Each year, more than 300,000 birds rely on this habitat, including piping plovers, red knots, redhead ducks, Brown Pelicans, and shorebirds. Notably, the islands are the only nesting ground for the Chandeleur gull in the entire world.

The Chandeleur Islands Restoration is considered a habitat and barrier island restoration project. Although it was previously assumed that the islands were not suitable for nesting sea turtles, CPRA and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) discovered 54 sea turtle crawls in the summer of 2022. Furthermore, the discovery of Kemp’s ridley hatchlings marks the first time in over 75 years that Kemps Ridley hatchlings have been observed on the islands. In 2023, 54 sea turtle crawls were recorded, with 12 confirmed nests containing eggs and at least two successful nests. Scientists even captured video footage of baby Kemp’s ridley turtle crawling from a nest on the Chandeleur Islands into the Gulf of Mexico. Since 2022, 136 crawls have been documented on the Chandeleur Islands from 3 species of nesting sea turtles: Kemp’s ridley, Loggerhead, and Green Sea turtles. More than 50% of those crawls belong to Kemp’s ridley, the world’s most critically endangered sea turtle.

CPRA is currently in the Engineering and Design phase of restoring 13 miles of the Chandeleur Islands. Once complete, this project will enhance the islands’ long-term resilience and sustainability. The restoration will provide significant protection to coastal communities and focus on ecosystem-wide benefits, including improved marsh habitats that support birds, sea turtles, and marine seagrasses.

With funding secured, construction is expected to begin in 2026.