Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary

Mission

The mission of NOAA's National Marine Sanctuaries is to serve as the trustee for the nation's system of marine protected areas; to conserve, protect, and enhance their biodiversity, ecological integrity, and cultural legacy.

About Us

The Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary is the thirteenth National Marine Sanctuary in a system that extends from American Samoa to Massachusetts. Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary was established to protect a nationally significant collection of over 100 shipwrecks, spanning over a century of Great Lakes shipping history. Thunder Bay Natioal Marine Sanctuary represents many "firsts" for the National Marine Sanctuary Program:

First Great Lakes sanctuary
First sanctuary to focus solely on a large collection of underwater cultural resources
First sanctuary located entirely in state waters

Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary

500 West Fletcher St.
Alpena, MI 49707

Projects

	All Saints Catholic School- Marine Debris and the 3Rs Creating a culture of conservation at the school while raising community awareness	Info
	Alpena High School - Shipwreck Alley Students will collect the oral histories, help preserve artifacts, and help develop an educational exhibit to encourage stewardship and preservation of the Lake Huron fishery.	Info
	Atlanta - Water Quality Monitoring Project 7th and 8th grade students are visiting multiple sites along the upper waters of the Thunder Bay River to monitor river health.	Info
	Au Gres River - Water Monitoring Students from Au Gres-Sims Elementary have joined interested community partners to monitor the health of the East Branch of the Au Gres River from head waters to its outlet in Lake Huron.	Info
	Besser Elementary - Water Quality Monitoring - Arbor Day 4th grade students from Besser Elementary visit Duck Park/Island Park twice a year to learn and monitor river health.	Info
	Black River Watershed Monitoring and Management Planning Environmental Science Students partner in monitoring and developing a watershed management plan for their local Black River Watershed	Info
	Building Stewardship in Local Waters Alcona Middle Schoolers Study Water Quality, Wetlands and the Effects of Marine Debris	Info
	BWET Grant Gets Students Exploring Local Resources Posen Students Build Appreciation and Understanding of Local Resources	Info
	Ella White - Native Fish and Restoration Project From Sturgeon on Loan, to raising Lake Trout in the classroom, these 5th graders focus on the most wanted species in Lake Huron.	Info
	Great Lakes Fisheries in the Classroom Efforts Raising Lake Sturgeon, Chinook Salmon, and Lake Trout in the classroom to help our fisheries!	Info
	Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Trail Stories Science in the Sanctuary students collect stories from northern Lake Huron communities to contribute to the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Trail website	Info
	Hubbard Lake Water Quality Monitoring Students use chemical and aquatic invertebrate tests to determine health of Hubbard Lake.	Info
	Lincoln Elementary - BWET- Island Mill Park Students use chemical and aquatic invertebrate tests to determine health of the Thunder Bay River	Info
	Lunchroom Waste Turned Eco-Brick Bench 5th Graders Led the Charge to Turn Lunchroom Waste into School Bench!	Info
	Microplastics Research Project in Lake Huron Alpena High Schools Chemistry students apply their learning to Lake Huron to collect and analyze micro-plastics from Thunder Bay.	Info
	NOAA Great Lakes B-WET - Our Rivers, Our Future NOAA's B-WET program is an environmental education program that promotes locally relevant, experiential learning in the K-12 environment.	Info
	Northeast Michigan Earth Day Bag Project Raising Awareness about the Danger of Plastic Bags in the Great Lakes	Info
	Onaway High School Service Learning Class	Info
	Oscoda Owls Explore the Pine River - Van Etten Lake Watershed! Oscoda Middle School students are stepping up and becoming natural resources leaders in their local watershed through place based education.	Info
	ROV STEM Enrichment 4-H Student Stewards received a grant to increase STEM awareness during the summer of 2014.	Info
	Salmon in the Classroom and Learning Harbor Ecosystems Alcona Elementary students raise salmon and take care of their shoreline by preventing marine debris	Info
	Studying the Watershed of Alcona County	Info
	The Thunder Bay River Watershed Project	Info
	Thunder Bay International Film Festival Student Film Competition	Info
	Thunder Bay Jr. High - Invasive Buckthorn Management 6th Grade students utilize the school's Outdoor Education Site to learn about the diverse ecosystem near their school and have a positive impact on the creek habitat through environmentally conscious management	Info
	Thunder Bay Junior High - Lake Huron Adopt-a-Beach The Adopt-a-Beach Program is more than just a beach sweep. Teams conduct litter removal and monitoring, and also complete a beach health assessment form that includes science-based observation and testing.	Info