Scientists unveil 10,000 sq ft model of Mississippi delta to help save coastline

At twice the size of a regulation basketball court, the enormous replica will be used to work out an ambitious water-diversion plan

Scientists working to stop rising seawater damaging the fragile ecosystems of the Louisiana coastline have unveiled a massive new weapon: an enormous replica of the lower Mississippi delta.

At some 10,800 sq ft, the model is more than twice the size of a regulation basketball court. Housed at Louisiana State University's center for river studies, the "Lower Mississippi River Physical Model" will help experts work out how best to enact a state plan to fight coastal erosion.