Dr. Jeremy Hartsock: Advancing Michigan’s Lake Management Through Plant Research
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EmailLearn how the IWR's Dr. Jeremy Hartsock is working to advance Michigan’s lake management through plant research.
Michigan’s inland lakes support rich underwater plant communities that are vital for fish habitat and healthy ecosystems. However, comprehensive data about these aquatic plants – known as macrophytes – has been limited, creating challenges for lake management.
Dr. Jeremy Hartsock, Aquatic/Wetland Ecologist and Outreach Specialist with the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife and the Institute of Water Research at Michigan State University (MSU), is working to change that.
Hartsock’s work focuses on characterizing inland lake aquatic plant communities, reporting aquatic invasive species detections, managing lake ecosystems, and improving decision-makers’ knowledge for sound water resources management.
Since 2022, Hartsock and his team have surveyed aquatic plant communities in 91 inland lakes across Michigan. With support from the U.S. Forest Service, Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR), and the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE), they plan to survey 40 additional lakes in the Huron-Manistee National Forests in summer 2025.
The project employs a quantitative point-intercept survey design that creates standardized, repeatable data collection methods. “We are hopeful our survey design will be adopted by other agencies and lake management companies to standardize the way plant data are collected going forward,” says Hartsock.
This work has already yielded important results, including detection of new populations of both rare and invasive species. In addition to the scientific value, the project has provided hands-on research experience for seven undergraduate students since its inception.
Hartsock is part of a larger team of MSU researchers working to better understand aquatic plant communities in Michigan. Together, they are building a comprehensive dataset to track both native and invasive species.
Beyond his lake research, Hartsock has maintained a longstanding interest in bryophytes—mosses, liverworts, and hornworts. He spent 10 years conducting wetland plant surveys in northern Alberta, Canada, with a focus on moss-dominated wetlands. Now he shares this expertise through workshops for the MSU Plant Biology Department, undergraduate student clubs, and non-profit botany groups like the Michigan Wetlands Association.
“Moss is boss,” Hartsock emphasizes, “and unbeknownst to many, it is among the most abundant terrestrial plants in the world.”
With a Ph.D. in Plant Biology from Southern Illinois University Carbondale (2020), a M.S. in Biological Sciences from Villanova University (2013), and extensive field experience, Hartsock blends scientific expertise with practical knowledge to support the conservation of Michigan’s aquatic ecosystems.
Jeremy Hartsock, Michigan State University
Jeremy is a wetland/ aquatic ecologist and Outreach Educator in the Institute of Water Research and Department of Fisheries and Wildlife. The majority of his work is focused on characterizing inland lake aquatic plant communities, reporting aquatic invasive species detections, lake management, and improving the knowledge of decision makers to make sound water management decisions. Key partners in these efforts include Michigan State University Extension (MSUE), the Michigan Departments of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE); Natural Resources (DNR); and the US Forest Service. Dr. Hartsock’s main project is focused on determining the status of aquatic macrophyte communities in inland lakes throughout the state of Michigan.
