On February 10, 2026, Stephanie Gandulla, Sophie Stuart, and Andrea (Andi) Yoxsimer returned — virtually — to their alma mater of Eastern Carolina University (ECU) to speak with students in a Cultural Resource Management class. The program prepares future leaders in underwater archaeology and heritage management, and admits a limited number of students per year. [...]
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 [...]
Beginning in spring of 2022, Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary (TBNMS) partnered with NOAA’s Great Lakes Environmental Research and Laboratory (GLERL) to establish the basis of a long-term monitoring program to measure Lake Huron water chemistry related to freshwater acidification and climate change. A noteworthy element of this project is the engagement of students and [...]
MEDIA ADVISORY MATE ROV Great Lakes Regional Competition helps students learn importance and application of underwater technology May 10, 2019 — MATE Great Lakes Regional ROV Competition is challenging local students to create an underwater robot to ensure public safety, help uphold healthy waterways and preserve historical artifacts. The students’ robots will be on display [...]
Remembering a NOAA Champion for Protecting Coastal and Ocean Special Places Senator Ernest “Fritz” Hollings Played Lead Role in Establishing NOAA as Federal Agency As a recent recipient of the Ernest F. Hollings Ocean Awareness Award to expand public outreach in marine and Great Lakes sanctuaries, the Friends of Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary would [...]
ALPENA, MICH—The Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary (TBNMS) is one of only two national marine sanctuaries selected to partner with the Greening Youth Foundation and NOAA’s Office of Coast Survey to offer a paid internship to an undergraduate, recent graduate or masters student. “We are so excited to have this opportunity,” said Sarah Waters, Education [...]
