Posted on May 6, 2026
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NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – It’s inevitable that New Orleans and much of coastal Louisiana will eventually be taken over by the Gulf, according to a new Tulane University study.
Researchers say the question is not whether the coastline will keep moving inland, but how the state plans for it.
“Ultimately, the main message of the study is New Orleans is not forever and we have to plan for our future and we have to start planning now,” said Dr. Torbjörn Törnqvist, a geology professor at Tulane University and lead author of the study.
The study, published in the journal Nature Sustainability, argues Louisiana’s land loss, shoreline retreat and coastal population shifts could make the state a leader in climate adaptation planning.
Tulane said the research combines coastal geology with archaeology, demography and public policy.
