Aside from tourism, Louisiana economy builds on production of minerals, oil and natural gas; petroleum refining; chemical and petrochemical manufacturing; forestry; agriculture and food processing; commercial fishing; shipping and international trade; shipbuilding, and general manufacturing. Thus, environmental research, and related to that, environmental robotics, are important issues.

Environmental research is led by USGS National Wetlands Research Center, now located at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette research park in Lafayette, Louisiana. Their research addresses the enormous losses of wetlands in coastal systems, the changes in fresh and estuarine systems because of changes in water quality, and the resulting effects on birds.

Another major institution is the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium (LUMCON), founded in

1979 to coordinate and stimulate Louisiana's activities in marine research and education. LUMCON provides coastal laboratory facilities to Louisiana universities, and conducts research and educational programs in the marine sciences.

Universities with research in environmental studies and R&A topics include:

- Louisiana State University
- Louisiana Tech University
- University of Louisiana at Lafayette
- Tulane University
- University of New Orleans

- USGS NWRC
- LUMCON
- NASA

- C&C Technologies
- Stuller
- Lockheed Martin
- Boeing

- Louisiana State University
- Louisiana Tech University
- University of Louisiana at Lafayette
- Tulane University
- University of New Orleans