International Space Station Imagery: Marsh Island, Louisiana

high res (1.4 M) low res (104 K)

ISS015-E-07725 (11 May 2007) — Marsh Island, Louisiana is featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 15 crewmember on the International Space Station.

Marsh Island, located along the southwestern coastline of Louisiana, is a remnant of an abandoned lobe of the Mississippi River Delta formed approximately 5000-7500 years before the present day, according to scientists. It is composed primarily of organic-rich muds and brackish marsh vegetation (some peat — semiconsolidated plant and organic matter — is also present). The intricate lake, pond and stream network of the island is highlighted in this image by silver-gray sunglint — light reflected off of water surfaces directly back to the crewmember on the space station.

unglint also illuminates water surfaces in the adjacent Gulf of Mexico and West Cote Blanche Bay — variations in intensity of reflectance in these water bodies is due to surface roughness (often related to wind-driven waves or currents) and the presence of surfactants that can change the surface properties of the water. Marsh Island is a popular fishing, shrimping and birding location.

The island has experienced significant loss of vegetation and land area — nearly 3,000 hectares (7,000 acres) – due to erosion, with a corresponding loss of habitat for local and migratory birds, shrimp, alligators and deer. While Marsh Island is uninhabited, it has been the focus of intensive development for management of erosion, such as revegetation of deteriorated marsh areas. Leveed canals (straight silver-gray water features) help drain areas for above-surface revegetation, while sill dams help stabilize water levels and foster regrowth of important subsurface vegetation such as widgeongrass.