Mariners were warned Wednesday, March 11, 2026, to avoid travel through the area inside the hashed, boxed-off zone, bottom, center, because of ongoing cleanup of an oil spill from the Louisiana Offshore Oil Port 18 miles to the south. The area includes the Isle Dernieres Barrier Islands Refuge, Lake Pelto, Terrebonne Bay and coastal marshes on their periphery. The islands are important nesting areas for many birds species while the marshes are important sources of food for those birds.
