As the year ends, we’re celebrating the incredible impact that people like you make at Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Through research, education, and community engagement, we worked together to protect the Great Lakes and their rich history.
Research: The sanctuary continued to serve as a hub for discovery. Scientists, archaeologists, and engineers conducted cutting-edge research and developed new technologies, advancing our understanding of the Great Lakes and improving tools for exploration.
Education: From hosting an international underwater robotics competition that brought students to Alpena from across the globe to engaging local students with hands-on programs, we connected thousands to the Great Lakes. These students experienced and explored the sanctuary through science, engineering, and maritime heritage.
Community: Nearly 100,000 people visited the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center this year. Open year-round and free to all, it is one of the region’s most popular destinations, inviting families, veterans, tourists, and local groups to experience the stories of our shipwrecks and the importance of protecting the Great Lakes.
To keep these programs going in 2026, we need your help. Your gift ensures that research continues, students stay engaged, and our community programs and the visitor center remain free and accessible to all. As you watch the video above, please consider making a tax-deductible donation to the Friends of the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary.
Thank you for your support.
Whats Happening at Thunder Bay
HOLLINGS SCHOLAR BLOG from Luis Acevedo-Soto
JUNE 10th BLOG ENTRY: Hola, my name is Luis Miguel Acevedo Soto. I am a rising senior at the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez, studying biology. I’m also part of the 2024–2026 class of [...]
2025 MATE Great Lakes Regional ROV Competition Results!
Teamwork took center stage—not on the field, but in the water—as student teams competed in the 2025 MATE Great Lakes Regional ROV Competition at the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center in Alpena. Teams were tasked [...]
Students Explore Maritime Archaeology with Big Anchor Project
Anchors play a key role in telling the story of maritime history. They’ve also become iconic symbols around the world. The BIG Anchor Project , launched by the Nautical Archaeological Society in 2008, invites volunteers [...]
Multibeam Sonar Lessons at Local School
On March 10, 2025, Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary researcher Andi Yoxsimer gave a talk about multibeam sonar to a group of seventh and eighth grade students at the Immanuel Lutheran School in Alpena, MI. [...]
Thunder Bay’s Signature Events
Festival of Sail
ROV Competition
Film Festival
