2012 Map of Curlew Islands

About this map

Chandeleur Sound and the open Gulf of Mexico converge along this fragile chain of barrier islands off the coast of Louisiana. The map documents a highly dynamic coastal environment where narrow, shifting landmasses act as the first line of defense against the sea. By the early 21st century, these landforms show the clear marks of erosion and fragmentation characteristic of the outer islands in Saint Bernard Parish. With no terrestrial infrastructure, roads, or settlements, the focus is entirely on the hydrography and the precarious boundary between the sheltered sound and the deep Gulf waters.