Houma Today: Experts got a bird’s-eye view of the state’s barrier islands earlier this month and were saddened to learn that erosion continues to outpace the millions of dollars worth of work being done to save them. The islands, called the state’s first line of defense because they slow waves and storm surge, once formed a large unbroken arc in the Gulf of Mexico. Erosion and storms, however, created smaller islands with names such as Timbalier, Last and Elmers islands. Tens of millions of …