Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary
Encyclopedia
Thunder Bay (Michigan)
Thunder Bay is a bay in the U.S. state of Michigan on Lake Huron. The bay extends from North Point at to South Point at .The city of Alpena lies at the mouth of the Thunder Bay River at...
, part of Lake Huron
Lake Huron
Lake Huron is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. Hydrologically, it comprises the larger portion of Lake Michigan-Huron. It is bounded on the east by the Canadian province of Ontario and on the west by the state of Michigan in the United States...
, within the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. The 448 square miles (1,160.3 km²) sanctuary and underwater preserve protects an estimated 116 historically significant shipwrecks ranging from nineteenth century wooden side-wheelers to twentieth century steel-hulled steamers. The Thunder Bay is the thirteenth National Marine Sanctuary designated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration , pronounced , like "noah", is a scientific agency within the United States Department of Commerce focused on the conditions of the oceans and the atmosphere...
. It was established in 2000.
The landward boundary of the sanctuary extends from the northern boundary of Alpena County
Alpena County, Michigan
Alpena County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the population was 29,598. The county seat is Alpena. It is considered to be part of Northern Michigan.It was founded originally in 1840 as Anomickee County...
near Middle Island, to its southern boundary near South Point. The sanctuary extends east from the lakeshore to longitude
Longitude
Longitude is a geographic coordinate that specifies the east-west position of a point on the Earth's surface. It is an angular measurement, usually expressed in degrees, minutes and seconds, and denoted by the Greek letter lambda ....
83 degrees west. Alpena
Alpena, Michigan
Alpena is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Alpena County. It is considered to be part of Northern Michigan. The Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary is located in the city. The population was 10,483 at the 2010 census...
is the largest city in the area.
There are a great many wrecks in the sanctuary, and their preservation and protection is a concern for national policy makers.
Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
, an auditorium, an archaeological conservation lab and education areas.
External links
- Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and Underwater Preserve NOAA
- Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center NOAA
- Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and Underwater Preserve Michigan Underwater Preserve CouncilMichigan Underwater Preserve CouncilThe Michigan Underwater Preserve Council or MUPC is a private, non-profit, volunteer driven organization that oversees activities relating to all of Michigan's Underwater Preserves...