Week of June 3, 2024
Hello Alpena! I’m Charlie Azzarito, a rising senior at Florida State University (FSU) studying Anthropology. Throughout my time at FSU, I came to learn about archaeology and grew fond of the courses and opportunities available in Florida. One track in my major focused on underwater archaeology, the study of submerged sites in marine and aquatic environments. I was lucky enough to receive extensive dive training through FSU’s Underwater Crime Scene Investigations program which took me from an Open Water diver to a Scientific diver in just two semesters. This training allowed me to attend a field school studying a submerged, pre-Ice Age site in Florida’s Aucilla River Basin. My research into paleoenvironmental reconstruction and human adaptation to climate change (along with my dive training) helped me qualify for NOAA’s Ernest F. Hollings Scholarship program. This program provided me with two years of tuition assistance and an opportunity to intern with NOAA the summer between my junior and senior year. For my internship, I chose Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary where I could study alongside marine archaeologists and scientists on the Freshwater Acidification Monitoring Project.
The Freshwater Acidification Project is an extension of NOAA’s Ocean Acidification Monitoring Program. While we have a lot of data on the acidification of the ocean, the freshwater monitoring project here at Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary (TBNMS) is the first of its kind. This research will create a baseline for future research into the effects of climate change across the Great Lakes basin. As part of the project, I take surface water samples from six different shipwreck and coastal sites in the sanctuary. I also deploy a CTD scanner measuring conductivity, temperature, and depth. The samples and data are then sent to NOAA’s Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL) in Ann Arbor, where researchers analyze changes in the pH level, the partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO2), dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), and total alkalinity (TA) of the Lake Huron system. Using these metrics, we can better understand the changes being brought onto the Great Lakes ecosystem by human activity. Our ultimate goal with this research is to improve the resilience of plants, animals, people, and industry in communities threatened by climate change, such as Alpena.
I arrived in Alpena Memorial Day weekend and spent the first week learning the ropes here at the sanctuary. Starting my second week on the job, Madalyn (Maddy) Saddler, and I planned our sampling schedule for the week. Monday was light, but also very productive. I was able to take the afternoon off and spent that time getting to know the town a little better. I grabbed lunch from Blue Moon Cafe downtown and then signed up for a summer membership at Bay Athletic Club. I usually tell people I like to go early in the mornings to get the workout out of the way, but I’m a dreamer and a liar. You can catch me there three to five days a week in the afternoons when I’m off work!
On Tuesday we began our sampling schedule for the week. Maddy and I hopped aboard the Lady Michigan with a 4th and 5th grade class from Hillman Elementary School. Here, we took samples from the W.P. Rend, the last shipwreck stop on the glass bottom boat tour. After collecting our samples, we promptly headed back to the sanctuary to package and send our vials to GLERL. If you’re able to catch Maddy and I on one of the glass bottom boat tours, we’re always happy to answer any questions about the project or the work being done at the sanctuary!
Wednesday was another eventful day, we met at the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center (GLMHC) to calibrate our NOAA Science on a Sphere exhibit. This exhibit is a great tool for us at the sanctuary, using a carbon fiber sphere and four HD projectors to display climate data collected by NOAA and other scientists and also present research findings. We discussed plans to make a new presentation focused on the Great Lakes and the Freshwater Acidification Monitoring Project. I spent the rest of the day on a self-guided tour of the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center, familiarizing myself with the exhibits and taking notes on how visitors were interacting with the museum.
As Thursday rolled around, I joined Daniel Moffatt and Sophie Stuart with our educational program at TBNMS. Daniel earned a grant through NOAA’s Marine Debris Monitoring and Assessment Project (MDMAP), a program where we form transects along the coastline of the sanctuary and record any large human-made debris that washes ashore. This program also corresponds to TBNMS’s focus on public outreach and community engagement, as we hope to include students from across Michigan in our future survey efforts. Thursday was a trial run to establish a survey point at the North Point Nature Preserve. While many of our transects thankfully didn’t have much debris, we did find a mylar balloon sandwiched right on the shoreline. This was a poignant reminder of where all our celebratory balloons end up when we’re done with the festivities.
I woke up early Friday and spent the day with Daniel. We started off working on the Freshwater Acidification Project, kayaking out to Ishpeming – one of our shipwreck sampling sites – from the mouth of the Black River. After collecting our samples and deploying our CastAway CTD, we kayaked back and immediately drove over to Negwegon State Park to continue the MDMAP. We established our survey area and found an assortment of plastic debris, but thankfully no balloons! After returning to the sanctuary and sending our samples and data to GLERL, I quickly caught a flight back home to see my sister’s high school graduation. She graduated from my alma mater, Cooper City High, with honors and a medallion of bi-literacy in Spanish! I return Monday to continue the work of Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary.
Charlie Azzarito at Rockport using a portable sampler to collect vials of water for testing.
Credit: NOAA TBNMS
Finding a balloon that became marine debris at North Point Nature Preserve
Credit: NOAA TBNMS
Week of June 10, 2024
Starting off the third week of my internship at Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, Maddy and I met with the Alpena High School Underwater Research Robotics (UR2) team to discuss potential applications of remotely operated vehicles (ROV) to the freshwater acidification project. During our discussion, we briefed the team on the goals of the freshwater acidification project and detailed the methods we use to collect samples at depth. If the UR2 team was able to develop a way for air-tight samples to be transported from the shipwrecks and back to the surface, then we could sample at greater depths, at a higher frequency, and in a more cost-effective manner. We could also relieve the dive team of some stress by allowing them to focus on tasks that can’t easily be automated.
After some brainstorming and more discussion on the implications of ROVs, Maddy and I joined Daniel and Sophie for more work on the Marine Debris Survey. We headed out to the Besser Natural Area and established our 100 meter survey area with randomized transects. On the drive in, we saw a bundle of maybe a dozen balloons clipped to the ground and left behind.
Among the areas we have surveyed so far, Besser had the most debris that likely came from visitors to the park. Gum and cigarette filters are two items often mistaken for biodegradable materials; unfortunately they are not and are quite often found on these beaches. The base of gum, responsible for the adhesive effect and gum’s resistance to chewing, is not water soluble and can take years to decompose. Cigarette filters are made of tightly packed plastics. Even when all of the paper around the cigarette has decomposed, the filter can last for nearly a decade and decomposes into microplastics which run into water supplies – negatively affecting the health of humans and wildlife. Disposing of these materials properly, or avoiding buying them altogether, can keep our beaches clean for generations to come.
On Tuesday, I joined our Summer in the Sanctuary program to assist students participating in our Underwater Robotics Academy. This three day program allows kids 10-13 to design, build, and pilot their own underwater ROV. For day 1 of the academy, kids were given time to pilot Thunder Bay’s educational ROVs in the Marine Technology Training Tank adjacent to the Maker Space. After every student was given a chance to drive both ROVs, we went back to the Maker Space where they constructed a generic ROV and took control of a simulated mission. With their teams, they discussed possible improvements they could make to their ROV, and then drafted plans for an ROV they would be making on their own.
Wednesday came with a lot of back and forth. I’ve been using a bike to get around town since I started here, and on my way to work I blew a tire. Luckily, Harborside Cycle & Sport was able to fix the tire in less than 20 minutes during my lunch break. When I arrived at the sanctuary, I continued to help the Underwater Robotics Academy. For the second day of the program, the kids were building the ROVs they had designed with their teams. I supervised the students while they spray painted and also helped create obstacles and rings for the final day’s competition.
Thursday was a busier day at the sanctuary. I started off with the last day of the Underwater Robotics Academy, helping students as they made finishing touches to their ROVs before the competition started. Then, Maddy and I went to Blair St. Pier, one of our sampling locations for the freshwater acidification project. After we took our samples we joined Captain Nick on NOAA vessel R3011, just to make sure the engines were working properly and also spent some time practicing emergency procedures and driving the vessel in the event a captain was unable to. We finished off the day collecting more freshwater acidification samples at Rockport Recreation Area, and then headed back to the sanctuary so we could send our samples to NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory.
Finishing off the week, I joined a team of NOAA archaeologists to conduct photogrammetry of the Joseph S. Fay shipwreck at 40-mile point. For those that might not know, photogrammetry is when a series of photos taken of an artifact or site are put into a software and layered onto each other to generate a 3D image. This was the first time I had ever been a part of a photogrammetry project, so seeing the data collection process and connecting with the other archaeologists was rewarding. I even got to run a couple transects taking photos of the shipwreck myself. On the drive back, we stopped for Nowicki’s in Roger City. I was told Bratwurst is a staple of Northern Michigan but I don’t think I understood how strong the craze was until after this stop.
Archaeologists conducting a photogrammetry survey of
the terrestrial portions of the Fay.
Maddy and Captain Nick on NOAA vessel R301.
Week of June 24th, 2024
I spent the majority of last week preparing for this upcoming week. On Monday, Maddy and I hit the ground running as we drove to 40-Mile Point to collect surface samples on the Joseph S. Fay. We used one of our inflatable Kayaks to reach the shipwreck and managed to get a little wet after our kayak met some choppy water. It wasn’t too big of an issue as our next stop was the Besser Natural Area, where I would be freediving and snorkeling to collect photogrammetric data of the Portland. Using the time lapse setting on one of the sanctuary’s GoPros, I am collecting overlapping photos of the shipwreck in order to create a 3D model as part of a larger report on the Portland’s history and significance. I ended the day at Red Brick Tap & Barrel to catch Game 7 of the NHL finals to conclude a nail-biting series between the Edmonton Oilers and my team, the Florida Panthers. I’m happy to say (to the dismay of a handful of Alpena locals) that on June 24th, 2024, the Florida Panthers got their first Stanley Cup making Miami the Ice Hockey champions of North America.
On Tuesday, we returned to our sampling sites at the Rockport State Recreation Area and Blair Street Pier. It was nice to see the crowds grow at these sites in response to the heat wave, and we got to answer a few questions about the work we were doing at both locations. When we got back to the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center, we decided to take the rest of the day to catalog our backlog of samples and prepare them for shipping to GLERL.
Wednesday I assisted with another Summer in the Sanctuary program. This program, titled “Archaeology Adventure!” introduced kids to maritime archaeology here at the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Two separate groups of kids met on Tuesday to demo dive gear, talk about what archaeology is, and test out underwater writing on mylar sheets. I joined the second day of the program where the kids learned about the parts of a shipwreck, got to examine and draw their own artifacts from the museum’s collection, and compete in a tinfoil ship building contest. Maddy and I also conducted our first Science on a Sphere presentation in front of the second group of kids. I was impressed by the kids’ attentiveness during the presentation, but what took me by surprise was their questions after. It was cool seeing how much these 5th and 6th grade students already understood about the world around them, and seeing them genuinely curious about the topics Maddy and I discussed was encouraging.
Thursday was another preparation day as we received an adventure club from Harbor Springs, loaded up one of the federal vehicles for a tabling event in St. Ignace on Friday, and prepared for a day of sampling on the R5501. However, once Friday arrived, the wind picked up on Lake Huron and the crew of the R5501 made the decision to stay ashore and postpone their operation for the day. I took the day to work on my undergraduate thesis project and also picked up my girlfriend from the airport who will be visiting for the coming week!
Charlie Azzarito aboard NOAA Vessel R5501 in the Alpena Marina, preparing for a day of sampling at NOAA Buoy Station #1
Week of July 1st, 2024
I started last week at the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center doing an interview for WBKB, which aired that same night. I got to talk about the freshwater acidification project and how it impacts Alpena as a community. After the interview, I worked a little on my archaeology report of the Portland.
My girlfriend was in town this week, so I took her visit as an opportunity to explore northern Michigan more. We decided to start her first day in Alpena by stargazing at Thompson’s Harbor State Park. I’ve never seen that many stars before so it was a really awesome and humbling experience.
On Tuesday, another Viking Cruise arrived in Thunder Bay. Maddy and I set up the Discovery Cart along the Maritime Heritage trail and talked about the freshwater acidification project to interested guests. We also got to watch the youth sailing lessons that take place in the river, I’m surprised they all made it out – they were having fun! After work I checked out the Sanctuary Cinema for the first time since I arrived in Alpena for another date night. We watched A Quiet Place: Day One and the seats were the comfiest I’d ever been in.
Wednesday was another office day of cataloging and planning. We ended the day watching the fireworks show over Lake Huron. Thursday and Friday I had off, so we spent Thursday enjoying the parade and 4th of July activities. On Friday, I showed my girlfriend around the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center, giving her a full tour of the facility. We left town for Atlanta, GA the same day to see a concert and where back on Sunday!
Being interviewed by WBKB 11
Week of July 8th, 2024
This week we planned to pack full of sampling for the freshwater acidification project.
Yet, Monday was a lighter day so I worked on my Portland report and lecture that will be shown at the sanctuary and at NOAA’s headquarters in Silver Springs, MD.
Tuesday was a full day on NOAA Vessel RV STORM (R5002). Maddy and I tagged along as TBNMS’s dive team returned Mooring Buoys to the Nordmeer, Pewabic, and Ohio. We met at the river around 7:30 am with the goal of establishing a buoy point at each of these shipwreck sites. Once a buoy point was established, we began collecting samples at both surface and depth. We also dedicated a stop to the Middle Island Sinkhole, a unique site we decided to add to our list of sampling sites for its biogeochemical qualities.
On Wednesday, Maddy & I set out to sample the Joseph S. Fay at 40-mile Point and the Ishpeming near Black River and Negwegon State Park. We reached 40-mile Point around 11am and quickly got to work. After a short, but bumpy, ride out to the Fay, we quickly packed up and began heading south to reach the Ishpeming before the afternoon storms arrived. When we got to Black River, the winds had already picked up a little. We were able to kayak the longer route to the Ishpeming without getting pulled away by currents or the choppy waves. We managed to make it out of the water just as the rain picked up, concluding another day of sampling.
On Thursday, I placed flyers around downtown Alpena to promote my lecture series at the sanctuary on Thursday, July 25th. I visited a lot of the spots I was already acquainted with around the social district.
On Friday, I got back to sampling. I started on the Lady Michigan glass bottom boat tour, sampling the W.P. Rend, and then headed off to sample our near-shore sample locations at Blair St. Pier and the Rockport State Recreation Area. I ended the day off with a couple drinks at Austin Bro’s Brewery before heading home for the week.
Collecting water samples at the JOSEPH S. FAY
Aboard NOAA Vessel RV STORM (R5002)
Week of Jul 15, 2024
Heading into my last two weeks at Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, the Sanctuary was hosting Operation Silent Swarm. This is a two week event where the Department of Defense invites engineering firms, service members, and the like to Alpena to experiment with developing technologies such as Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROV). I spent Monday and Tuesday at the Sanctuary helping out with miscellaneous tasks and taking a sneak peak at the various tents displaying ROVs that would be tested in the upcoming weeks. When I had some free time on Tuesday, I went down to the Alpena Marina to visit the Brown Trout Festival and see all the food and shops!
I started Wednesday by assisting the Summer in the Sanctuary ROV drop-in program. A group of kids from a visiting summer program constructed their own ROVs and also got a chance to pilot some of the ROVs from our Sanctuary’s Educational Program. I stopped assisting with the program around noon to do an interview on “Talk of the Town” with WBKB11. I got to talk more about the Hollings Scholar program, the Freshwater Acidification Project, and my upcoming lecture.
Thursday, I joined SeaFloor on the R3011 for their experimentation with an ROV that has been used to map the seafloor using multibeam sonar. We drove out with the ROV’s pilot and did a collaborative operation with Storm out on the water. White SeaFloor was undergoing their classified operation, we took the R3011 to GLERL’s Station Buoy out in the central region of the sanctuary to collect surface samples. Some of the SeaFloor crew brought burgers aboard the R5501, so we were able to refuel in between boat operations. On Friday, I felt a little sick so I took the day to work on my Hollings Presentation and my report on the Portland shipwreck site from home.
On the set of Talk of the Town with host Bradley Somers
Week of Jul 22, 2024
Over the weekend, my parents visited Alpena to see what I’ve been up to all summer. I showed them around the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center, before we went on the Lady Michigan for a shipwreck tour. I took them to my favorite spots around northern Michigan, including the Joseph S. Fay at 40-mile point, Nowicki’s in Roger City, the Alpena Marina, the Social District, and some of the parks around town. On Monday, I took my last samples at Rockport, Blair St. Pier, and the W.P. Rend!
For Tuesday I wanted to get some more footage and photographs of the Portland shipwreck for my report, so Maddy and I spent the first half of the day in Presque Isle collecting data on the site. I did another full video scan of the shipwreck, and also took some up close shots of the site to complete a cultural resource assessment. The second half of the day I spent working on my Hollings Presentation, which I will present at the NOAA Science and Education Symposium in Silver Springs, MD, and also here at the Sanctuary on Thursday! Wednesday was the deadline for this presentation to be completed, so I spent the whole day tweaking the powerpoint and trying to optimize the flow of the presentation.
On Thursday I got to give this presentation to the public at the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center! I spent the morning doing a trial run of the presentation and helping out with Silent Swarm tasks. I gave my presentation around 7pm to a wonderful audience and the team took me out to RedBrick after and surprised me with a Creme Brulee cake! Sophie had to have spent hours on it. And for my last day at Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, I’ve been writing this final blog post, helping with the Viking cruise events and the Discover Alpena events going on around the GLMHC, and doing my final meetings with Stephanie before I ship off to Silver Springs for the symposium at headquarters! Thank you Alpena for an amazing summer and for all of those who kept up with me and the Freshwater Acidification project, it was a blast!
Delivering my lecture on my time in Thunder Bay. Click the photo to watch a recording!
The creme Brulee cake surprise!
