Several decades ago, in the late 1930's, when the oil boom hit Louisiana, oil and gas companies cut canals and inlets to the Gulf of Mexico. Eventually, Louisiana was supplying more than 1/3 of the oil and gas to the nation. Local people did very well, converting their shrimp boats into supply boats and adding on to their fleets, literally making millions. There is a wonderful book "Cajun Mariners--The Race for Big Oil" about this era in Louisiana.
Salt water intrusion from the Gulf invaded the land through the canals and little by little the marsh and all of its ancient oaks on ridges were killed and there is little marsh left to act as a barrier in hurricane protection. Coastal erosion is one of the greatest, if not the greatest, problem presently facing Louisiana.
This area is the staging area for oil company supply boats that go out to the rigs.
This was taken from inside a moving vehicle.