ABSTRACT
Riverine-dominated coastal systems are complex ecosystems that are in dynamic equilibrium with their surroundings. The important variables that determine the structure and function of coastal deltaic wetlands are pulses from the river during high discharge or ood events, which supply nutrients and sediments to the coastal marshes. These marshes maintain the existence when the accumulation of sediment is equal to or greater than the rate of subsidence. Coastal marshes are among the most productive ecosystems in the world. Productivity is related to nutrient and sediment input from rivers feeding the system. Louisiana coastal marshes located in the Mississippi River deltaic plain are outwelling systems that export organic energy (detritus) to the estuary and the Gulf of Mexico.
