Have you heard of FORCE BLUE and their Tour of Duty? Picture this. Retired special operations veterans + marine conservation = giving back and making an impact. Force Blue helps veterans use their unique skills to support scientists and conservationists at marine sanctuaries across the United States. We were honored to host them in Alpena [...]
Earth is Blue and Stories from the Blue are professional video productions created by the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries with the goal of inspiring people everywhere to care for our ocean, and to spread the message that our Earth isn't green - it's blue. This planet is an ocean planet and the National Marine [...]
Great Lakes Students Get a Sneak Peek of Festival Films Each January, leading up to the annual Thunder Bay International Film Festival, the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary education team brings a sneak peek of ocean and Great Lakes independent films to local students. From Rogers City to Alcona, Posen to Alpena, our education team [...]
The 3rd Grade Get Into Your Sanctuary (3GIYS) program recently won the Sea to Shining Sea Award for Excellence in Interpretation and Education. This award is given annually by NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries and recognizes success in advancing ocean and climate literacy and conservation through our countries marine protected areas. It also recognizes [...]
"Our sanctuary runs on coffee and volunteers!" At least that’s the message on the mugs we gifted to our incredible volunteers at the annual appreciation event in December 2024. It was a pleasure celebrating nearly 50 of the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary volunteers that were able to join us. Over the past 25 years, [...]
Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary Brings Maritime History with a Holiday Story Have you heard of “The Christmas Tree Ship?” If you haven’t, you can ask a Hinks Elementary School pupil to fill you in or anyone who joined us for a family friendly event on a Saturday in early December. This education outreach program [...]
Shelby Brunner and Jennifer Boehme, of Great Lakes Observing System (GLOS), joined Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary (TBNMS) staff on October 17th for a community listening session, held in Alpena, MI, at the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center. GLOS and TBNMS listened to user feedback and input on what types of data are most valuable and where they [...]
"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 [...]
