2020 Map of North Islands

About this map

The North Islands form a narrow, fragmented chain of barrier landforms within the Gulf of Mexico in Saint Bernard Parish. This 2020 topographic survey documents the delicate and shifting nature of these coastal features, which are vital to the barrier island system protecting the Louisiana coastline. The map illustrates a series of small, elongated spits and sandbars that comprise the archipelago, separated by shallow tidal inlets. In this remote maritime environment, the land-to-water ratio is heavily weighted toward the sea, highlighting the vulnerability of these low-lying landforms to storm surges and coastal erosion. There are no man-made structures or settlements shown on these islands, emphasizing their role as primitive natural habitats and navigational markers for those traversing the outer reaches of the parish.