Mission & Partners

The State of the Coast conference strives to provide an interdisciplinary forum to exchange timely and relevant information on the dynamic conditions of Louisiana’s coastal communities, environment, and economy and to apply that information to existing and future coastal restoration and protection efforts, policies, and decision-making.

The Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana and its partners, the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority and The Water Institute of the Gulf, are proud to bring Louisiana the State of the Coast Conference, the definitive conference centered on the restoration and protection of Louisiana's coast.

Founded in 1988, The Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana (CRCL) is the longest-standing statewide organization driving bold, science-based action to rebuild coastal Louisiana through outreach, restoration, and advocacy. With the support of members and volunteers, CRCL advocates for strong coastal policies and implements restoration projects across coastal Louisiana. CRCL is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization.

Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana

We have a three-pronged approach to coastal restoration:

Outreach -- CRCL works directly with coastal communities, fishermen, and industry to ensure that they understand the importance of coastal restoration to our state.
Restoration -- CRCL is a boots-on-the-ground restoration organization. Our Habitat Restoration Program and Oyster Shell Recycling Program engage thousands of volunteers every year to help restore our coastal wetlands by planting native plants and trees in vulnerable wetland areas. We use oyster shell collected from local restaurants to build oyster reefs, which help slow shoreline erosion.
Advocacy -- We work closely with the state legislature, state coastal restoration officials, and other coastal decision makers to ensure that decisions for coastal restoration are based on the best science available.

Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) is the single state entity with authority to develop, articulate, implement, and enforce a comprehensive Coastal Master Plan of unified vision to reduce tropical storm surge flood impact, to restore our bountiful natural resources, to build land to protect our nation’s critical energy infrastructure, and to secure Louisiana’s coast now and for future generations.

Coastal Restoration and Protection Authority

By marshaling the expertise and resources of federal and state agencies, local governments, nongovernmental organizations, and the private sector, CPRA integrates and translates the objectives, projects, and goals of the Coastal Master Plan into on-the-ground action.

The Water Institute of the Gulf is a not-for-profit, independent applied research institute dedicated to providing advanced understanding and technical expertise to support management of coastal, deltaic and water systems within Louisiana, across the Gulf Coast, and around the world. Our mission supports the practical application of innovative science and engineering, providing solutions that benefit society.

The Water Institute of the Gulf

Those who make policy for coastal and deltaic systems, as well as managers of natural resources, need high-quality science and engineering to guide their decisions. Nowhere is this need greater than coastal Louisiana, which is losing its wetlands at a catastrophic rate. Addressing Louisiana's coastal crisis requires application of sound knowledge and data -- in the near term and for the long haul. The Water Institute was founded in 2011 to address exactly this sort of challenge.

Since its establishment in 1968, the Louisiana Sea Grant College Program has worked to promote stewardship of the state’s coastal resources through a combination of research, education and outreach.

Louisiana Sea Grant

Louisiana Sea Grant, based at Louisiana State University, is part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Sea Grant Program, a network made up of 33 Sea Grant programs located in each of the coastal and Great Lakes states and Puerto Rico. LSU was designated the nation’s thirteenth Sea Grant College in 1978. Louisiana Sea Grant had its Program Review in October 2015, conducted by the National Sea Grant Office/NOAA, and LSG was rated as “exceeds expectations by a substantial margin in some areas/aspects.”