15
APRIL 2026
Channelization is also a threat to the islands. Louis ex-
plained that deep channels are constantly being dredged 
in the shallows of the Mississippi Sound and along the 
Gulf Coast. The channelization process effects the flow 
of the sand moving to the islands. While one may think 
of an island as static and made of sand and matter from 
only the surrounding areas, the reality is quite different. 
“There’s a natural process,” Louis explained. “The islands 
are moving westward from sand from the Appalachian 
Mountains, believe or not.”
Louis is active with the Gulf Islands National Seashore, the 
National Parks Conservation Association, is on the Sierra 
Club committee for the state, and helped found the 12 
Miles South Coalition. He and these groups work closely 
with the Park Service to fight inappropriate development 
around the islands. 
The Park Service is not a regulatory agency and depends 
on the public for support, making these groups vital to the 
islands’ future. Through these organizations, Louis and 
others reach out to the community, informing them of 
proposed development, and rallying support for this fragile 
ecosystem. “We gotta do it,” Louis explained. “Especially 
when the park service comes to you and says, ‘Hey, look, 
we need your help.’”
The islands are a special place. With no cars, no hotels, no 
apartments or houses, the undeveloped Ship Island offers 
solitude and respite from the bustle of modern life. Pro-
tecting all the islands not only for their own sake and the 
wildlife, but for future generations to enjoy is important to 
Louis and his family. He laughed when he talked of being 
asked by guests about what to do on the island after visiting 
the fort. Louis tells them, “You walk!” He advises them to 
grab a big straw hat and a bottle of water and stroll along 
the beach to the tip of the island and watch the currents go 
by. “I never get tired of that, and I grew up there every sum-
mer of my life,” Louis said. “I never get tired of walking the 
beach on Ship Island.”
PHOTOS: SHIP ISLAND EXCURSIONS
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