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A dense field of green soybean plants with broad leaves growing close together.

Recognizing water stress and critical growth stages in corn and soybeans

Water stress is one of the most limiting factors in crop production, affecting grain yield, quality and nutrient uptake.
Waves crashing over rocks and pebbles.

Spartans Making A Difference: Shaping Shorelines, Safeguarding Futures

This week's articles by MSU faculty, specialists and students making a difference feature coastal resilience in the Great Lakes, phosphorus runoff from farm fields, and climate benefits of regenerative agriculture.
Rice Coral Under The Sea

New study reveals how corals teach their offspring to beat the heat

Caused by stressful conditions like warming ocean temperatures, coral bleaching is a leading threat to some of our planet’s most diverse and vital ecosystems.

Water surface with boats

Spartan science protects the water we depend on

Water is one of our planet’s most vital resources — essential for life, food production, energy and industry. But it’s facing serious threats from pollution, changes in climate and overuse.
A calm lake scene with trees and a Western Lake Erie Basin logo in the foreground.

MSU leads $12 million Western Lake Erie Basin performance-based conservation program

The program is funded by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and led at MSU by the Institute of Water Research and the Center for Regenerative Agriculture.
Cargo containers.

MSU sustainability expert highlights link between Michigan water use, agriculture, and global trade

Recent debates over tariffs have focused primarily on economics, but they also demonstrate how trade decisions can carry unintended consequences for water use and environmental systems worldwide.
Red Cedar River

Bringing new life to the Red Cedar River

Running through the heart of Michigan State University’s campus, the Red Cedar River has long served as a beacon of recreation, teaching and learning, and a thriving ecosystem for the campus community.
Telemetry Receivers

Swimming in the deep: MSU research reveals sea lamprey travel patterns in Great Lakes waterway

In a study funded by the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, MSU's Kandace Griffin and Professor Michael Wagner found that sea lampreys follow a clear pattern of staying in the deepest parts of a river.
Artworks of Hannah Tizedes

Creativity meets conservation: An MSU alum’s mission to protect our Great Lakes

MSU alum and artist Hannah Tizedes is turning art into environmental activism through her Michigan-based nonprofit, The Cleanup Club.
Wastewater plant.

Spartans Making A Difference: Wastewater ARGs, recycled phosphorus, and viruses in MSU vents

This week's articles by MSU faculty, specialists and students making a difference feature sewage-tracked antibiotic resistance, phosphorus recovery from waste, and COVID detection in campus HVAC filters.
A gloved hand waters young plants at the base of their stems in soil.

Watering strategies to keep a garden productive 

As a state that shares a border with four Great Lakes, Michigan’s access to water creates excellent growing conditions for many crops. Between precipitation and irrigation from groundwater or municipal water sources, many Michigan gardeners often have no difficulty getting the necessary supply of freshwater.
PFAS: Forever Chemicals.

PFAS: Forever Chemicals

What are PFAS, and how do they show up in Michigan’s water? This 2-minute video explains how these “forever chemicals” move through the environment, what researchers are doing to track them, and what it means for our communities.