"This research can be used to connect people from across the world." That was one of the remarks Haley Dalian from the NOAA Marine Debris Program shared after helping a group of high schoolers survey and clear litter from a Lake Huron beach recently. As the Great Lakes Regional Coordinator, she was excited to make [...]
HANNAH MACDONALD "The role of Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary in my life cannot be understated—it has been a cornerstone of my personal and professional development for over a decade." - Hannah MacDonaldHannah MacDonald grew up in Alpena, overlooking Thunder Bay. She was drawn to the water. As soon as she was old enough to [...]
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 [...]
It wasn't planned, but maybe we subconsciously knew TOURISM WEEK was approaching when we said yes to welcoming two conferences to Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary in May. The IJC - International Joint Commission is a bi-national organization between the United States and Canada created to manage and protect the Great Lakes, and chose Alpena [...]
The power of teamwork doesn’t just show up on the basketball court or the soccer field, it is a driving force on ROV (underwater robot) teams as well, and it showed at the MATE Great Lakes Regional ROV Competition at the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center on May 11th, 2024. Teams were tasked with demonstrating [...]
"Being able to bring them here gives them a core place that they can come and engage others. This experience tends to draw them back to learn more," Jay C. Martin Ph.D., professor of history at Central Michigan University The CMU Shipwreck Central class made a road trip to Alpena on Friday, April 5th to visit the [...]
For the first time since 2019, students from StockbridgeHigh School’s InvenTeam were back in the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary (TBNMS), this time deploying their mini boat, Fautasi, from the glass-bottom boat Lady Michigan on May 25, 2023. Four students and their mentor, Mr. Richards, are a part of Educational Passages, a program that teaches students about ocean currents, weather, and [...]
The results are in! Today in Alpena, 13 student teams competed in the MATE Great Lakes Regional ROV Competition, hosted by NOAA Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary. This annual event encourages students from all over the Great Lakes to learn and apply science, technology, engineering, communication, and math skills as they design and build underwater robots to [...]
Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary was recognized for their exemplary contributions to sustainable tourism practices with a "Pure Award" at the Pure Michigan Governor's Conference in Tourism. More than 600 tourism representatives, economic development professionals, and meeting planners from across Michigan convened at the annual conference in Grand Rapids to discuss and better understand the [...]
Researchers from NOAA, the state of Michigan, and Ocean Exploration Trust have discovered an intact shipwreck resting hundreds of feet below the surface of Lake Huron. Located within NOAA's Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, the shipwreck has been identified as the sailing ship Ironton. Magnificently preserved by the cold freshwater of the Great Lakes, the [...]
