LOUISIANA
COASTAL PORTS
Louisiana’s
ports and marine transportation system are of vital economic importance
to the state’s economy. It is estimated that Louisiana’s
six deepwater and 21 inland and shallow-water river ports contribute
270,000 jobs and $32.9 billion to the state’s economy annually.
Louisiana’s
ports serve as one the major gateways to the middle of the United
States. As such, the state ranks first in the nation in total
shipping tonnage and handling – in excess of 450 million
tons of cargo a year. The Port
of South of Louisiana is the largest port in the U.S. by tonnage
and the fourth largest in the world, exporting more than 52 million
tons a year of which more than half are agricultural products.
All told, the ports along the Mississippi River handle approximately
60 percent of U.S. overseas grain exports, and the bulk of imported
commodities (e.g. steel, concrete, coal, oil and chemicals) for
industrial America.
Port
Fourchon, strategically located in the center of Gulf of Mexico
oil and gas activities, handles approximately 18 percent of all
domestic oil and gas and 15 percent of the nation’s energy
imports. The facility also supports ongoing operations at the
Louisiana
Offshore Oil Port (LOOP), conveying crude oil to approximately
30 percent of the nation’s refining capacity.
Despite what
appears to be a bright economic future, the state’s ports
face extensive environmental and other challenges that are often
seen as serious impediments to growth and development. These challenges
are not insurmountable, and Louisiana Sea Grant-affiliated researchers
and personnel are assisting ports staff in finding solutions through
outreach, research, and education.
Additional
Resources
