Real-time data is a critical component for safe recreation, whether it be radars for forecasting rain or data buoys to communicate winds and waves. Data buoys are at the heart of the Great Lakes observation network and also for the regional partners who deploy these assets for their specific uses. Two of GLOS’ more publicly recognized partners are our “local” National Marine Sanctuaries.
The National Marine Sanctuaries (NMS) program has 3 freshwater Sanctuaries here in the Laurentian Great Lakes. They are, in order of designation, Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary (Lake Huron, 2000), Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary (Lake Michigan, 2021), and Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary (Lake Ontario, 2024). These protected areas are aimed at preserving the sanctuary waters, providing community involvement opportunities, and educating the public about the various ways the spaces benefit humans. While the Lake Ontario NMS is relatively new, Thunder Bay NMS (TBNMS) and Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast NMS (WSCNMS) both offer extensive programming.
Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, headquartered in Alpena, MI, receives nearly 100,000 visitors annually and Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary, headquartered in Sheboygan, WI, also welcomes thousands of guests every year. In an effort to both educate and keep these visitors safe, the Sanctuaries deploy “marker buoys” to designate shipwrecks and “data buoys” that provide near real-time condition updates. Both Sanctuaries have embraced a combination approach to their data buoys – larger, traditional metocean buoys and smaller, newer buoys.
The smaller, new buoys within the Sanctuary are Sofar Smart Moorings. WSCNMS has had Sofar buoys, often referred to as Spotters, since 2022 after successfully applying for a Smart Great Lakes mini-grant. They started with three evenly spaced along the western Lake Michigan coast and still maintain two of the sites today. A larger metocean buoy now occupies the third site. All three buoys have gained strong popularity within the community. Conversely, TBNMS has had a larger buoy deployed by NOAA’s Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL) since 2007. It’s a popular asset and Sanctuary users have long wanted more buoys. This year TBNMS is adding 2 Sofar Smart Moorings to its waters after a community engagement process and with funding from GLOS.
Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast Spotters
The two Sofar Smart Moorings that sit in Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast waters are off of two popular port towns in Wisconsin – Port Washington and Two Rivers. The initial locations were originally selected due to proximity to real-time data gaps along the coastline and because they would provide a north to south snapshot of the coastal conditions. The locations they are in today were fine-tuned with input from the community. For example, Susie Q, a commercial fishing operation near Two Rivers requested that the buoy get moved further north outside of their trawling zone.
These buoys receive upwards of 20,000 views every summer on Seagull.
Watch a short video on the 2025 deployment of the Port Washington spotter buoy.
Thunder Bay Spotters
Staff and visitors of Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary have long desired additional in-water observational capacity, but it was never quite in the budget. However, last year GLOS had the opportunity to help out their long-term partner with funds from a grant that were tailored towards improving coastal resiliency for communities. As part of this, GLOS and TBNMS co-hosted a Community Listening Session in Alpena, Michigan and listened to feedback from a variety of users on what types of additional real-time data would be useful for their activities.
Input from over 2 dozen stakeholders was considered for helping choose the sites and sensors for the future buoys. Three optimum sites were decided upon, with influence from the provided input. Now three buoys will measure surface waves, water temperature, and provide wind estimates. The lightweight Sofar Smart Moorings were chosen, for their ease of use and reliability, and purchased for integration into the sanctuary’s buoy network.
Sanctuary staff hope to have these first deployed in spring 2026. Stephanie Gandulla, Resource Protection Coordinator for the sanctuary, has been helping spearhead the new buoy initiative and says “access to real-time data from northwestern Lake Huron will be useful to boaters, fishers, and really anyone wanting to explore their sanctuary.”
Check out previous stories about the sancstuaries and their buoys:
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Smarter Great Lakes: Dozens of Spotter Buoys Deployed Across the Region
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The newest NOAA national marine sanctuary will soon have three buoys
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Catching Up with Russ Green at the Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary
- The Buoy(s) of August – The mooring buoys of Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary (featured in the August 2024 Newsletter)
- Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary Listening Session (featured in the October 2024 Newsletter)
Watch a recent video showing the deployment of the Port Washington spotter buoy: