Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary
Located on Lake Huron’s Thunder Bay, within the northeastern region of the U.S. state of Michigan, Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary protects approximately 4,300 square miles of Lake Huron, as well as over 200 historically significant shipwrecks ranging from 19th-century wooden schooners to 20th-century steel-hulled steamers.
TOUR OF DUTY DATE:
September 2024
SCIENTIFIC PARTNERS:
Thunder Bay NMS
OBJECTIVES:
- Document shipwreck sites using 360-degree photography and videography.
- Monitor and assess the condition of shipwreck sites.
- Document and assess the condition of the mooring buoy system.
- Conduct water sampling at depth and surface for freshwater acidification research.
- Conduct transects at designated terrestrial debris and plastic “nurdle” patrol locations.
RESULTS:
Eight (8) FORCE BLUE veterans monitored, assessed, and utilized 360-degree photography on eight (8) shipwrecks. They assessed eight (8) mooring buoy systems, removed nine (9) buoys, and collected 15 samples for a first-of-its-kind freshwater acidification test.
FORCE BLUE veterans also participated in the first-ever “nurdle” survey in northern Lake Huron, searching for plastic pellets (nurdles) used in the manufacturing of plastics. They took part in mapping two beach sites, removing 27 pieces of marine debris.
Finally, FORCE BLUE veterans collected biological samples at the Middle Island Sinkhole, an 80-foot-deep ecosystem rich with microbial mats.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT:
FORCE BLUE team members gave two public presentations — one at the Great Lakes Maritime Center and the other for 300 students at Alcona High School and Middle School — and conducted numerous local and regional print, radio, and television interviews.
