Southern Louisiana is Sinking.

A Louisiana State University scientist says Southern Louisiana is sinking and restoring flooded marshes to protect the state's Gulf coast is futile.

LSU researcher Roy Dokka says Louisiana coastal areas are sinking 2 to 4 feet since 1950, with some sections, including New Orleans, sinking 2 inches a year, the Baton Rouge (La.) Advocate reported Monday.

Using GPS and other methods, Dokka's says he's found the Earth's crust beneath the Mississippi River delta is bending under the weight of the material the river has dumped into the Gulf of Mexico.