Coastal Wetlands are the first lines of defense against Hurricanes by providing a buffer to wind driven storm surge. This fragile environment is disappearing at an alarming rate. Louisiana alone has lost up to 40 square miles of marsh a year for several decades - that's 80 percent of the nation's annual coastal wetland loss. If the current rate of loss is not slowed, by the year 2040 an additional 800,000 acres of wetlands will disappear, and the Louisiana shoreline will advance inland as much as 33 miles in some areas. Wetland Conservation is at the top of the federal, state, and local governments list of priorities. Many different techniques are being applied - from construction of freshwater diversion canals to the importing of dredge material. Stabilizing the existing marshes, shorelines, and estuaries is a must and protecting endangered areas from daily wave fetch and erosion is crucial. HESCO Concertainer units are being used to reinforce wetlands and stabilize waterway shorelines. Acting as a wetland planter, the Concertainer units contain imported and local dredge materials and allow a deep rooting haven for wetland vegetation. Successful pilot projects such as the one shown here have survived Hurricane Katrina and have gained the attention from professionals involved in restoring depleted wetlands. In October 2004, HESCO Concertainer units were used to stabilize an eroding shoreline. The multi-cellular system was placed on the lake bottom approximately 8 feet from the existing shoreline. The Concertainer units were then filled with a dredged sand material imported to the site. Once filled the units were then backfilled to re-create land. The concept was to rebuild the 20’ x 8’ plot of land and protect the new shoreline from everyday waves and seasonal hurricanes. In November 2004, the Concertainer units were planted with various wetland vegetation, hoping to jump start the growth process. Plants such as smooth cord grass and black mangrove were planted and monitored on a monthly basis. In 2005 the area of the pilot project (East Orleans Land Bridge) suffered catastrophic destruction from Hurricane Katrina in which over 9 miles of homes were destroyed. The HESCO Concertainer pilot project successfully survived the hurricane despite a storm surge of over 15 feet. The project suffered no damage and all vegetation remained intact. As seen in the corresponding pictures, Concertainer units successfully restored, conserved, and protected 160 sqft. of wetlands by simply containing the aquatic soil. Concertainer units are now being specified to stabilize coastal habitats throughout the state of Louisiana. HESCO Bastion USA can now manufacture PVC Concertainer units to help withstand harsh saltwater habitats.