Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary - Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center

An Important Mission

As part of its mission to educate the public about the significance of shipwrecks, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), in partnership with the State of Michigan, has established the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center in Alpena, Michigan. The center promises to be a vital and popular destination for residents and visitors of all ages, allowing the public to experience and appreciate the estimated 200 shipwrecks in and around Thunder Bay.

Visitors will be able to explore shipwrecks in real time via live video feeds, discover the Great Lakes’ rich maritime past through innovative exhibits, and learn how underwater archaeologists work to preserve historic shipwrecks. Fostering these types of experiences is central to the National Marine Sanctuary Program’s goal of inspiring Americans to care about our oceans and Great Lakes.

Bringing People to Alpena

The Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center will attract an estimated 60,000 visitors per year to Alpena, significantly increasing public awareness of NOAA and the National Marine Sanctuary Program in the Great Lakes. The center will strengthen northeastern Michigan’s identity as a premier location for Great Lakes maritime heritage interpretation, research, and recreation.

A “Green” Building

THE GREAT LAKES MARITIME HERITAGE CENTER IS NOW A GOLD CERTIFIED LEED BUILDING

The Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center is now a Gold Certified Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) building. Sponsored by the U.S. Green Building Council, the LEED Green Building Rating System is a voluntary, consensus-based national standard for developing high-performance, sustainable buildings. The Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center’s systems, fixtures, flooring, furniture, and landscaping demonstrate NOAA’s commitment to an environmentally-sustainable future. Energy and water consumption are greatly reduced through efficient design, including a geo-thermal heating and cooling system and low volume and waterless toilets. The Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center has also won two U.S Department of Energy Awards: You Have the Power Award and Federal Energy Savers Award, as well as the GSA Special Achievement for Real Property Innovation.

The sanctuary, in cooperation with the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL), operates three research vessels, including the 41-foot Huron Explorer, the first petroleum-free government vessel in the nation. Huron Explorer uses rapeseed hydraulic oil for its deck crane, winches and marine gear, 100% soy biodiesel for engine fuel, and canola motor oil. A working demonstration of the merits of bio-products in the marine environment, Huron Explorer was also awarded the U.S. Department of Energy’s You Have the Power Award. The sanctuary’s goal is to make its entire fleet environmentally friendly and economical to operate.