The CONSERVE Research Group is building a native seed bank for Alabama through a new partnership with Atlanta Botanical Garden, Washburn Seeds and Agricultural Consulting, and the Alabama Native Seed Network. The effort aims to give restoration projects and private landowners a ready source of simple, effective native seed mixes for healthier watersheds across the…
Every week, students in our Research Experience for Undergraduate program participate in Water Wednesdays, a field learning experience designed to offer them the chance to physically experience the realities of water research and operations.
CONSERVE Research Group is developing digital twin ecosystems as part of an emerging portfolio for watershed conservation and management. This shift represents a new way of thinking about how conservation and restoration decisions get made, and how to understand their consequences before they play out on the ground.
A new research program is bringing three distinct projects to working landscapes across the Southeast, from aquifer modeling to on-farm rivercane restoration to mapping underground root systems to advance the science of natural erosion control and watershed protection.
In 1827, the location of The University of Alabama was influenced by the presence of a critical water resource called Marr’s Spring. Nearly 200 years later, the University is at the center of water research advancing science, technology and policy to create a more secure and sustainable water future for the nation and the world.
Colton Byrne has been named a 2026-2027 Goldwater Scholar for his first-of-its-kind research on seafloor sediments near Thwaites Glacier, work that is helping scientists better understand Antarctic glacial recession and sea-level rise. Byrne conducted the research under Dr. Rebecca Totten, a CONSERVE Faculty Fellow and a Goldwater Scholar herself.
The Alabama Water Institute recently welcomed Josiah Gullatte as assistant director of watershed conservation, preservation and restoration, or CPR, at CONSERVE, the Community Oriented Nature-based Science for Ecosystem Restoration and Versatile Engineering Research Program.
MILLBROOK, Ala. — Protecting our vital waterways requires dedicated scientific research and strong regional collaboration. Watersheds are not confined to state and county lines. The health of our rivers depends on the collective effort of researchers, policymakers and local communities. A Gathering of Experts Alabama Water Institute’s CONSERVE Research Group, focused on nature-based watershed conservation,…
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Ekaterina Menkina, a University of Alabama anthropology student, had never touched professional filming equipment before. However, the Alabama Water Institute’s CONSERVE Research Group took a chance on her in 2024, handing over professional-grade camera equipment and trusting her to document ancient pictographs 800 miles from Tuscaloosa. “I saw the words ‘creative’ and ‘art,’…
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — A process that once required two full days of hands-on work by a researcher and graduate student now takes about an hour. The Alabama Water Institute’s Equipment Support Program recently helped fund a Thermo Scientific KingFisher Apex for its CONSERVE Future Ecologies lab. The state-of-the-art genomics platform automates the extraction of DNA, RNA and proteins…
