When water cascades from the Mississipi River into Lousiana’s
delta wetlands, it may help mitigate oil contamination,
researchers hypothesize. Scientists at Louisiana State
University are working with the National Center for Earth-
Surface Dynamics to study how the Mississippi River affects the
growth of deltas. Although their work was well in progress
before the oil spill, they are now also interested in assessing
whether the water gushing from the Mississippi into wetlands
will prove a strong force that in keeping oil from moving into
the delta from the sea. Their research efforts are focused on
the Wax Lake Delta in Louisiana. To test their hypothesis, they
plan to collect soil and sediment samples this summer while
water flow is high and test the oil content. They will then
compare the oil levels with those of samples taken this fall,
when water flow is expected to decrease. “The vulnerability or
the susceptiblity of these wetlands will increase” as the flow
declines, Guerry Holder, a senior postdoctoral r