LSU College of the Coast & Environment

LSU College of the Coast & Environment CC&E houses the Department of Oceanography & Coastal Sciences and the Department of Environment

The College offers graduate degree programs in both departments and an undergraduate degree program in Coastal Environmental Sciences. CC&E works to restore barrier islands, improve hydrology in salt, brackish, and freshwater marshes, protect fish and shellfish for commercial and sports use, provide first warning capability against devastating storms, effect environmental remediation, and better u

nderstand human impacts on ecosystems, to name just a few of our important research initiatives. Our academic programs train tomorrow’s scientists, managers, and policymakers. To learn more about each department, click the following links:
Department of Oceanography & Coastal Sciences https://www.lsu.edu/cce/academics/graduate/docs/index.php
Department of Environmental Sciences https://www.lsu.edu/cce/academics/graduate/envs/index.php

Congratulations to the winners of our CC&E swag give away at SWS2026! It was great connecting with everyone and we hope ...
06/19/2026

Congratulations to the winners of our CC&E swag give away at SWS2026! It was great connecting with everyone and we hope to see you again soon.

Are you at the Society of Wetland Scientists meeting in New Orleans? Make sure to stop by the LSU booth and enter into t...
06/18/2026

Are you at the Society of Wetland Scientists meeting in New Orleans? Make sure to stop by the LSU booth and enter into the drawing for LSU College of the Coast & Environment swag!

You could win a heavy-duty poncho, which will come in handy right now, and a high-quality tumbler. Winners drawn daily!

Members of the CC&E community, including Dean Clint Willson, participated in the Love Our Waterways initiative Monday mo...
06/17/2026

Members of the CC&E community, including Dean Clint Willson, participated in the Love Our Waterways initiative Monday morning to remove litter and debris from the shoreline and surrounding areas. It was a great day of community service and positive environmental impact.

LSU sharing knowledge at the Society of Wetland Scientists meeting in New Orleans this week. Come by our table to connec...
06/17/2026

LSU sharing knowledge at the Society of Wetland Scientists meeting in New Orleans this week. Come by our table to connect!

Two days after a fire was extinguished at Smitty’s Supply, a petrochemical facility in Roseland, Louisiana, Environmenta...
06/16/2026

Two days after a fire was extinguished at Smitty’s Supply, a petrochemical facility in Roseland, Louisiana, Environmental Sciences Assistant Professor Bikram Subedi and his team went out to sample for PFA chemicals.

He found them.

PFAs, also known as ‘forever chemicals’, are linked to cancer and other long-term health impacts. The firefighting foams used to put out the actively burning petroleum-based fires are known to be a major source of PFAs.

Of the 29 chemicals Subedi tested for, he found thirteen present in Tangipahoa River.

This study marks one of the attempts track PFA impacts on coastal systems, after an industrial incident. Subedi said it points to an understudied area. “We barely monitor these chemicals, and [an explosion or fire] can raise levels significantly.”

Learn more about the study at the link in our comments ⬇️

From preparing for extreme weather to maintaining the health of mangrove forests, there is a lot the world’s coastlines ...
06/15/2026

From preparing for extreme weather to maintaining the health of mangrove forests, there is a lot the world’s coastlines can learn from each other.

It all comes down to collaboration - exchanging ideas, learning from differences, and working together on solutions.

These are the goals of CC&E's coastally-focused research partnership with universities in Hong Kong, South Korea and Brazil.

“Coastal problems are a global phenomenon, but different coastlines have variable issues due to coastline shape, tides, winds, and storm impacts,” White, who is a professor in the Department of Oceanography & Coastal Sciences, or DOCS, said. “We at the College of the Coast & Environment are working to create a global hub with university partners around the world to identify these major issues and to engage and learn from one another on potential solutions.”

Learn more at the link in the comments

When waters rise, decisions have to be made quickly. The right information can make all the difference. A new partnershi...
06/11/2026

When waters rise, decisions have to be made quickly. The right information can make all the difference.

A new partnership between CC&E’s Z. George Xue, a team of LSU researchers and the Ascension Parish government aims to provide just that, as they work together to train an new, AI-powered flood prediction tool.

Once completed, the tool is designed to provide officials with hourly flood forecasts, based on real-world data.

The parish provides the perfect test ground for such a project, Xue says.

“One of the biggest challenges in AI flood forecasting is not building the model itself, but teaching the system how a real drainage network behaves under constantly changing conditions. Ascension Parish provides an exceptional real-world testbed because the system experiences complex interactions between rainfall, drainage infrastructure, river backwater effects, and coastal hydrodynamics,” he said.

“By combining real-time observations, weather forecasts, and AI modeling, we are working toward a system that can continuously learn from new events and provide more actionable flood intelligence for local decision-makers.”

The tool is currently in a testing and calibration phase as it learns how Ascension’s unique drainage network reacts during different rainfall events and weather conditions. Every hour, it:
• Pulls information from Ascension Parish water gauges every hour
• Combines data with information from weather forecasts and other information
• Issues an up-to-date forecast for the next 24 hours

Learn more on our website. Link in comments

LSU Parish of Ascension

What can a living fossil teach us about environmental change?We find out in our latest ✨Student Spotlight.✨Environmental...
06/09/2026

What can a living fossil teach us about environmental change?

We find out in our latest ✨Student Spotlight.✨

Environmental Sciences PhD student Lauren Eagon is using alligator gar, a fish whose lineage dates back millions of years, to understand how environmental changes- like warmer water temperatures and the presence of endocrine disrupting chemical – affect the development of fish.

She uses alligator gar because they have a rapid, dramatic growth sequence. They go from fry less than an inch long to a fish six feet long or more.

“I am looking at disruption to metamorphosis, the transition from larval to juvenile stage. It's critical for their growth, their survival, and population maintenance,” she says. “We know chemicals and environmental factors like temperature can disrupt the progression of metamorphosis.”

She says disrupted metamorphosis can have long lasting effects on populations. “If they don't transform correctly, they're probably going to die or get eaten.” Growing too quickly means the fish may not be able to find sufficient food; too slow of growth make the fish more vulnerable as prey.

Learn more about her research at the link in the comments

Today is and we're taking a look at how CC&E research helps keep these critical ecosystems healthy."World Oceans Day s...
06/08/2026

Today is and we're taking a look at how CC&E research helps keep these critical ecosystems healthy.

"World Oceans Day serves as a reminder that ocean health is not a distant issue. It influences the air we breathe, the food we eat, the economies we depend on, and the communities we call home," says Oceanography & Coastal Sciences Professor Kanchan Maiti, who is also Chair of the Department of Oceanography & Coastal Sciences.

The world's oceans face growing threats: warming waters, pollution and nutrient runoff. Rising seas, stronger storms and accelerating coastal landloss place an even greater pressure on already vulnerable coastal systems, underscoring the need for science-driven solutions to protect these vital resources.

To tackle these challenges, CC&E researchers combine cutting edge technology with field-based science.
➡️ Our scientists use satellites, sensors and high-frequency radar to monitor changes in wetlands, shorelines, and coastal waters;
➡️ They collect data on water quality, sediment movement, and ecosystem health;
➡️ And they develop advanced models that improve forecasts of flooding, storm impacts, and low-oxygen conditions.

"Through research, education, and innovation, LSU’s College of the Coast & Environment is helping generate the knowledge needed to protect our coasts, strengthen resilience, and ensure a healthier ocean future for generations to come," says Dr. Maiti.

Learn more at the in the comments

06/05/2026

🔬🌱🌎❤️ that’s a wrap on Coastal and Environmental Sciences Summer Camp. See you next year!

Address

LSU 1002 Energy, Coast, And Environment Bldg
Baton Rouge, LA
70803

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 4:30pm
Tuesday 8am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 8am - 4:30pm
Thursday 8am - 4:30pm
Friday 8am - 4:30pm

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