Mississippi Gulf Coast Restoration: Mississippi and Alabama are teaming up to restore Grand Butture Island using $55 million from the Deepwater Horizon settlement, targeting about 100 acres of shoreline where marsh is eroding more than 6 feet per year; construction is expected to start in 2030 after engineering and permitting, with the goal of rebuilding habitat for shrimp, crab, oysters, seagrass, shorebirds, and diamondback terrapins. Urban Water Quality (Regional Lesson for MS): Iowa announced new urban stormwater projects, including a West Burlington bioretention cell funded by the state to filter runoff before it reaches Hawkeye Creek and the Mississippi River—another reminder that “natural infrastructure” can cut pollution while improving public spaces. Wildlife & Habitat Protection: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service expanded critical habitat protections for endangered freshwater mussels, including waterways in Mississippi, aiming to support long-term recovery after decades of habitat loss, pollution, and invasive species. Invasive Species Watch: A Formosan subterranean termite swarm delayed a Mississippi softball championship, highlighting how an invasive termite is spreading beyond the coast into more counties. Water Monitoring & Pollution: A decade-long USGS study found pesticide pollution in Midwest and Great Plains rivers is getting worse, with troubling levels of multiple chemicals detected across monitored streams.