HOUMA, La. (AP) Phase II of the Floating Islands Restoration Project, designed to help rebuild the coastline in Terrebonne Parish, will be held Friday and Saturday.

Volunteers will place about 1,000 feet of synthetic mats in the water. The 5-foot-by-20-foot mats can hold 150 to 200 plants and will be placed end-to-end and anchored to the water bottom.

Officials say the "floating islands" technology allows the plants to take root in the water bottom while providing protection from the natural elements.

Phase I of the project, completed in September 2011 in Point Aux Chene, was the first to use the new technology, developed by Martin EcoSystems, in an open-water application in the marine environment.

Coastal Conservation Association and its partners were pleased with the results and decided to expand into Phase II.

"Even after the devastating effects of Hurricane Isaac, we found that the floating islands were still thriving and outperforming the surrounding natural marsh," said CCA Louisiana Habitat Chairman John Walther. "It was an easy decision to expand on this project with Phase II, and we are so thankful to our partners for helping make this expansion possible."

Walther believes Phase I's success shows that the technology could be used on a broader scale, as part of the State's Coastal Master Plan.

"We have proven that the project is sustainable and resilient," Walther said in a statement Thursday. "Since we know that it is also cost effective, we believe that this technique could be a useful tool in rebuilding and protecting Louisiana's coastline."

Volunteers this weekend will plant two types of marsh grass smooth cord in the center and seashore paspalum on the edges to create a habitat component. The plants are installed in the mats onshore and then the mats are moved to the water for installation.

Funding for the project is provided by CCA Building Conservation Trust, Shell Oil Company, Keep Terrebonne Beautiful, Terrebonne Parish Consolidated Government and private donations by CCA members. The total project cost is expected to be about $100,000.

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Phase II of Floating Islands project begins