More than 3,000 gallons of Huron River water were trucked to the U-M campus recently to create 150 mini-Hurons that are used to study how environmental changes affect freshwater habitats like rivers and streams.

For the first time, the chemical “fingerprints” of the element mercury can directly link environmental pollution to a specific coal-burning power plant. “We see a specific, distinct signature to the mercury that’s downwind of the power plant, and we can clearly conclude that mercury from that power plant is being deposited locally,” said U-M researcher Joel Blum.

Related: Acid rain threatens Great Lakes sugar maples

A wastewater treatment plant can provide the perfect mating ground for carelessly disposed of antibiotics to form superbugs that are eventually discharged into streams and lakes, says U-M researcher Chuanwu Xi.

Seems more people are interested in eating fresh, healthy foods. An alumnus and his co-author wife, who have built their own “farmstead” offer tips to get you started on the healthy, do-a-little-bit-more-yourself lifestyle.

Extreme flooding of the Mississippi River this spring is expected to result in the largest Gulf of Mexico “dead zone” on record, according to a University of Michigan aquatic ecologist and his colleagues.

Already under stress by invasive species and pollution, the Great Lakes are now seeing the reappearance of a problem once believed solved: dead zones, where no life survives. Worse yet, climate projections indicate that the problem is likely to grow.

Related: Researchers predict record Gulf of Mexico “dead zone” due to Mississippi River flooding

When alumnus Bill Sparrow decided to kayak the entire length of the Mississippi River, he and his wife Laura expected adventure. But they didn’t expect a whole new understanding of their country, its grandeur and its people.

U-M weather expert professor Perry Samson responds to questions about extreme weather, including hurricanes, tornadoes and thunderstorms.

U-M researchers found that schools located in areas with the state’s highest industrial air pollution levels had the lowest attendance rates—an indicator of poor health—as well as the highest proportions of students who failed to meet state educational testing standards.